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“Now, Old Silent Partner, I Must Run Away. 





A Story for Girls 

BY 

GABRIELLE 

E. 

JACKSON 

Author of 

“Three Little Women, “ 
“Three Little Women at Work,“ 
“The Joy of Piney Hill,” 
“Wee Winkles,” 
“Sunlight and Shadow,” 
“By Love’s Sweet Rule,” 
etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 


THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY 

PHILADELPHIA 




* 



Copyright 1910, by 
The John C. Winston Co, 



©CU:>7530() 


TO DOROTHY 

A loyal, lovable lassie, 

A trusted and true little friend. 


G. E. J. 


r* T 



CONTENTS 


CHAPl'EB PAGE 

I. After Three Years 9 

IL The Silent Partner and Others. ... 21 

III. The Bee-Hive 35 

IV. The Busy Bees 51 

V. Mammy Makes Investigations 68 

VI. Thanksgiving 86 

VII. Expansion 103 

VIII. Vaulting Ambitions 120 

IX. At Merry Yuletide 138 

X. “Then Came the Wild Weather"". . . 153 

XI. In the Valley 168 

XII. Of the Shadow 181 

XIII. Aftermath 197 

XIV. In the Springtide 21 1 

( 5 ) 


6 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTEB PAGE 

XV. Mammy Makes a Discovery 229 

XVI. Mammy a Sherlock Holmes 248 

XVII. Cupid in Spectacles 270 

XVIIL Harvest Time 285 

XIX. Three Little Women's Success 301 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


''Now^ Old Silent Partner, I Must Run 
Away Frontispiece ^ 

PAGE 

Jean Was Hanging Between Earth and Sky. 841/ 
Charles Was Sitting Upright Talking 

Wildly 186'^ 

''You Are My Eyes and My Very Soul!’’ 284 



THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS. 


CHAPTER 1. 

After Three Years. 

October had come to Riveredge. This fact 
meant more than the five words usually imply, 
for to few spots did October show such a gra- 
cious presence as she did to this pretty town. 
Beautiful at all seasons, even in its wintry 
dress of gleaming snow, in its autumn gor- 
geousness, Riveredge was entirely irresistible. 
In summer the town drowsed, for during July 
and August many of its inhabitants took a hol- 
iday and journeyed thither and yonder ; in the 
autumn it wakened to the busy bustle of active 
life and its preparations for the drawing to- 
gether of all who dwelt therein, and spring 
was the time when it did its renovating, its 
housecleaning, its decorating, but October’s 
(9) 


lo THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


crisp westerly winds blowing across the broad 
expanses of the river set blood stirring, made 
pulses throb many beats quicker, and caused 
even strangers to smile and nod to one another 
as they passed along the streets. Friends 
called gayly: “Isn’t the air delicious? 
Doesn’t it make you want to prance like a 
colt?” 

There was one individual in Riveredge 
whom it so affected, anyway. The fact that 
nearly three years have slipped by since we 
last witnessed any of her prancings has not 
lessened her propensity to do so, for with 
nearly fourteen years numbered off upon her 
life’s calendar Jean Carruth is as much of a 
romp as ever, full of impulses as she was upon 
the day she rescued old Baltie; as she was 
when she so valiantly defended her property 
and her rights against the hoodlums of Mc- 
Kimm’s Hollow. The three years have 
brought about many changes, it is true, but 
Jean Carruth will remain Jean Carruth to the 
end of the story. She has grown like a weed. 


AFTER THREE YEARS 


II 


to be sure, and seems to be nearly all long 
arms and legs with a body like a hazel wand — 
pliable and vigorous, with powers of endur- 
ance far beyond its indications. A casual 
observer might think her less strong than she 
is, but in reality she is “ soun’ as a dollar and 
de cause ob mo’ trebbilation dan a million ob 
’em could be,” insisted old Mammy. And 
Mammy was pretty well qualified to judge, 
having had charge of that young person since 
she drew her first breath in the world. Mam- 
my still lived and flourished as Mammy Blairs- 
dale-Devon. Nothing could induce her to 
drop the Blairsdale. Hadyn Stuyvesant had 
quite conclusively, though unwittingly, settled 
that point when he presented the superb sign, 
with its gleaming gold letters, to the newly 
opened lunch counter in the Arcade. Mrs. 
Carruth tried to persuade Mammy to take the 
name of her lately restored spouse, and be 
known thenceforth as Mrs. Charles Devon; 
but Mammy had scornfully stammered; “D- 
d-drap de Blairsdale? Never! I was horned 


12 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


a Blairsdale, lived a Blairsdale eighteen year 
befo’ I hooked on de Devon, an’ den hatter 
onhook it inside of f o’ months ; den I lived 
fo’ty-seben years wid de Blairsdale name befo’ 
I foun’ out dat I had claim ter any odder. So 
what fo’ I drap it now? Dey ain’t no name 
kin leave it behine as I knows on. Devon’s 
a good one, I knows, and down yonder where 
we-all was horned at it do stan’ high for a fac’, 
but it cyant rare up its head like de Blairsdale 
name kin. No, sir! Devon can hook on to 
de Blairsdale all right an’ straight if it got a 
min’ ter: but I ain’t never gwine let it lead 
it no mo’, an’ I’s a-gwine ter let Charles lead 
me” As the possibility of Charles ever lead- 
ing Mammy seemed more than visionary, Mrs. 
Car ruth gave up the argument. Besides, she 
had many other things to occupy her thoughts. 
In the fall of 19 — Eleanor had entered college, 
and within the present college year would grad- 
uate with well won honors. From the mo- 
ment she entered she resolved to be indepen- 
dent so far as her personal needs were con- 


AFTER THREE YEARS 


13 


cerned. The tuition fees were paid by her 
great-aunt, Mrs. Eleanor Maxwell Carruth. 
Those she accepted because Mrs. Carruth, Sr., 
was amply able to meet them, but further than 
that she had resolved to be independent and 
she had been. The first year was the hardest ; 
a freshman’s possibilities are circumscribed; 
Sophomore year brought with it broader op- 
portunities; Junior year established her place 
in the college world beyond all argument, and 
now with senior year her triumph and success 
lay close at hand. Moreover, this last year 
was being made much easier for her by Con- 
stance’s success in her candy kitchen. The 
same autumn that Eleanor entered college 
Constance, in spite of Mammy’s protests and 
opposition, had branched out on a scale to 
outrage all the old colored woman’s instincts 
and traditions. But Mammy had stormed and 
scolded in vain, the addition to her little four- 
roomed cabin was built by Haydn Stuyvesant, 
all Constance’s practical ideas for the needs 
of such a kitchen being followed out to the 


14 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


minutest detail. He admired the girl’s pluck 
and enterprise too much to bar her progress 
in any way, in spite of the fact that Mammy 
had sought to dissuade him from encouraging 
her in venturing further into the commercial 
world. Mammy had actually gone to Haydn’s 
office to “ ketch a word in private,” as she put 
it. Finding all argument with Constance fu- 
tile, she played what she hoped would prove 
her trump card. Haydn listened with all the 
deference to her arguments against “dat chile 
a-goin’ on so scan’lous, an’ a-startin’ out fer 
ter make sweet stuff fer all creation, when 
dar’s mo’ sweet stuff in de shops dis minit dan 
folks kin swaller if dey stuff desefs de whole 
endurin’ time.” 

“ But, Mammy,” Haydn had replied, as he 
looked kindly at the troubled old face before 
him, “you know none can equal Miss Con- 
stance’s. It would be a downright piece of 
cruelty to deprive us all of our Saturday 
treat.” 

“ Den let her go ’long de way she’s been 


AFTER THREE YEARS 


15 


a-goin’; let her make it down yonder in her 
Ma’s kitchen, an’ sell it in de Arcyde, jus’ lak 
she been a-doin’ all dese months. She ain’t 
got no call fer to earn any mo’ money’n she’s 
a-earnin’ right now. Ain’t me an’ Charles 
a-comin’ ’long right spry wid our lunch coun- 
ter in dar?” she insisted, with a nod of her 
turbaned head toward the section of the build- 
ing in which she and Charles had carried on 
a flourishing trade ever since the immaculate 
counter had displayed its tempting viands to 
those who passed along the Arcade, and who 
were not slow to avail themselves of Mammy’s 
wonderful art of cookery, or to bring their 
friends to enjoy it also. 

“ Yes, Mammy, you and Charles are real 
wonders to all who know you; but can’t you 
understand why a girl of Miss Constance’s 
type would never be happy if dependent upon 
others? Why, with all her young and splen- 
did health, strength and energy, she must have 
some outlet for her ambition.” 

“ Den let her go a-frolickin’ lak her Ma did 


l6 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


when she was mos’ sixteen ! Let her go 
a-horsebackin’ and a-dancin’ at parties, an’ 
I a-picnicin’ and all dose t’ings what a girl lak 
■ her ought ter be a-doin’. Wha’ you s’pose ma 
ol’ Massa Blairsdale say an’ do if he could 
come back an’ see de doin’s in our house? 
Gawd-a-mighty, I wouldn’t crave ter be aroun’ 
if he come along unbeknownst an’ see Miss 
Jinny’s chillern grubbin’ ’long in candy kitchens 
and teachin’ oder folks’ chillern, and hikin’ all 
ober de kentryside peddlin’ candy. He ax me 
fust, ‘ Mammy, yo’ no count ol’ nigger, wha’ 
you been about?’ An den he bang ma haid 
clean off!” 

“I hardly think so. Mammy. The head and 
the heart have given too much to those he 
loved. But don’t be troubled about Miss Con- 
stance. Remember this: no matter what she 
chooses to do, she will remain the sweetest of 
gentlewomen to the end of the story. You 
little guess the respect she already inspires in 
all who know her, if she is but sixteen. Let 
me help her by arranging her kitchen just as 


AFTER THREE YEARS 


17 


her practical little head has planned it all. It 
is the least I can do. Miss Willing will bear 
the brunt of the hard work this winter, leaving 
Miss Constance free to finish her high-school 
course. It is a wise plan all around and a 
kinder one than you realize. The Arcade tel- 
ephone switchboard was no place for a girl 
like Mary Willing, and to have been instru- 
mental in removing her from the temptations 
she was sure to meet there is a more beauti- 
ful charity than those blazoned at large in the 
daily papers. Don’t thwart it, Mammy. Let 
the little girl down yonder go on with her 
good work; she doesn’t realize how far-reach- 
ing it is: perhaps she will never learn. Her 
mother does, however, and is using a very fine 
instrument to bring the work to perfection,” 
Mammy had sat very silent all the time, her 
old face wearing a puzzled expression, her 
keen eyes fixed upon a paper cutter which lay 
upon Haydn’s desk, her lips pursed up doubt- 
fully. Haydn did not break the silence; he 

only watched. After a few moments she 
2 


i8 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


looked up, gave a perplexed sigh, and said: 
“ Well, sah, p’raps yo’ is right. P’raps yo’ is. 
I ain’t nothin’ but a’ ole nigger woman, but, 
bress Gawd, I loves ma white folks, an’ I 
hates fer ter see de ole times so twisted up wid 
de new ideas, I sartain’ does. It goes against 
de grain p’intedly.” 

“I can understand all that, dear old Mam- 
my, but you mark my words, the results will 
justify the deeds.” 

So Mammy gave up the argument, though 
she was far from resigned to the plans. 

And thus had the enterprise grown. Con- 
stance finished her year at the high-school, 
Mary Willing was established in the model 
little candy kitchen, with all its practical lit- 
tle appointments, and before long was nearly 
as proficient as Constance herself, and quite as 
enthusiastic. One year slipped by and an- 
other followed it. Then a third was added to 
the number, until now, with the autumn of 19 — 
Constance was nineteen years old and Eleanor 
twenty-one. 


AFTER THREE YEARS 


19 


Neither has changed a great deal, Elean- 
or’s three years in the college world have given 
her greater poise and independence, a more 
matured outlook upon life, but the old Eleanor 
Carruth is still in evidence. 

Constance had grown taller, the slight figure 
is more rounded, though still girlish. She 
still has the wonderfully sweet, frank expres- 
sion, in spite of her two years out in the busi- 
ness world, for after her graduation she took 
firmer hold than ever of her business venture 
and branched out in many directions. New 
booths were opened in adjacent towns, private 
orders were filled for patrons in New York 
City, holiday consignments were made to more 
remote ones, to which her fame had spread 
through friends and friends’ friends. Of 
course some losses had been sustained, but in 
comparison with her output and returns they 
were trivial, and her success was an estab- 
lished fact. But the work continued, her aim 
being absolute independence for her mother, 


20 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


and for Jean the home and the atmosphere 
their mother had formerly known and loved. 

And the silent partner of the firm, old Bal- 
tie, how had the three years dealt with him? 
A horse which has attained twenty-five years 
and is sightless is supposed to be out of the 
running, but Baltie lived apparently to prove 
the fallacy of such a supposition. At twenty- 
eight he was younger and more active than at 
twenty-four, his age when rescued by Jean. 
Nothing could restore his sight, but with each 
year his hearing seemed to have grown keener, 
and the ears were as sensitive as a wild ani- 
mal’s. But Baltie needs a chapter to himself. 


CHAPTER II. 


The Silent Partner and Others. 

“ Mother, have you seen Jean?” asked Con- 
stance, popping her head into her mother’s 
room shortly after breakfast one glorious Oc- 
tober morning. 

“ She was here but a few moments ago, 
dear,” answered Mrs. Carruth, looking up 
from her desk at which she sat writing out the 
marketing list for Mammy. 

“ I want her to leave this parcel at Mrs. 
Morgan’s on her way to school, and, by the 
same token, she ought to be on her way there 
this very minute. I wonder where she has 
gone ?” 

“ Not very far, I think. She knows she 
must start at once.” 

Constance laughed as she replied : “ I won- 
der if she ever will know? Time doesn’t ex- 
ist for her, or perhaps I would better say that 
( 21 ) 


22 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


it exists only for her; she so calmly takes all 
she wishes. But she really must start now. 
I’ll go hunt her up and get her headed in the 
right direction.” 

“ Yes, do, Honey,” urged Mrs. Carruth, as 
Constance hurried away in quest of the young- 
est member of the household. 

Mrs. Carruth resumed her writing. The 
past three years had dealt kindly with her: 
Mammy and the daughters of the home had 
seen to that. Nothing could ever alter the 
gentle expression of her eyes, or change the 
tender curves of her lips. Each told its story 
of love for those nearest and dearest to her, 
as well as her sympathy and interest in her 
fellow-beings. Mrs. Carruth had passed her 
forty-seventh birthday, but did not look more 
than thirty-eight. The hardest years of her 
life were those following upon her husband’s 
death, and the serious financial losses she was 
then forced to meet. Since Constance’s ven- 
ture and the success which had almost imme- 
diately attended it, the outlook for all had been 


THE SILENT PARTNER 


23 


more hopeful, and if now living less preten- 
tiously than she had lived during her hus- 
band’s lifetime, she was none the less comfort- 
able: Upon Hadyn Stuyvesant’s advice Mrs. 
Carruth had not rebuilt the old home, although 
by careful economy she could have done so. 
But Hadyn was looking farther into the fu- 
ture than Mrs. Carruth looked. Perhaps his 
wish had some bearing upon the thought, for 
from the moment Hadyn Stuyvesant had met 
Constance Carruth his future was settled so 
far as he was concerned. But he was too wise 
to let the sixteen-year-old girl guess his feel- 
ings. The gulf between sixteen and twenty- 
three is a wide one. As the years advance it 
mysteriously narrows. At nineteen Constance 
often wondered why Hadyn seemed younger 
to her in his twenty-sixth year than he had 
at twenty-three. Never by look or word had 
he betrayed any warmer feeling for her than 
the good-comradeship established at the be- 
ginning of their acquaintance. He was like 
an elder brother in that home. Mrs., Carruth 


24 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


consulted him freely upon all occasions. Elea- 
nor accepted him as a matter-of-course; that 
was Eleanor’s way. Constance found in him 
the jolliest companion. John adored him 
openly, and he was her valiant champion 
whenever she needed one. From the day he 
had taken his first meal in her home she had 
been to him the “Little Sister,” and he never 
called her by any other name. Not long after 
that event she had coined a name for him — 
a funny enough one, too. Rushing into Con- 
stance’s room in her impetuous way one day, 
she demanded ; “ Connie, when knights used to 
fight for their ladies, ever ever so long ago, 
what did they call them ? — the knights I 
mean.” 

“Do you mean Knight Errant ?” asked Con- 
stance, looking up to smile at the eager little 
girl. 

“Knight Errant? Knight Errant?” re- 
peated Jean, doubtfully. “ No, somehow that 
doesn’t fit him. I couldn’t call him that, it’s 
too long.” 


THE SILENT PARTNER 


25 


“Call whom, Jean?” Constance began to 
wonder what was simmering in this little sis- 
ter’s head. 

“Mr. Stuyvesant. He calls me ‘Little Sis- 
ter,’ and I want a name for him.” 

“ Do you think mother would approve of 
your calling him by his nickname?” 

“ ’Tisn’t going to be a nickname; it’s going 
to be a love name for him, just like his for me 
is,” was Jean’s curious distinction. 

“ Oh !” The tone did not imply deep con- 
viction. 

“ Now, Connie, you don’t understand at all. 
You think I’m going to be — be — well, you 
don’t think I’m respectful, but I am. I don’t 
know anyone that I feel more respectfuller to 
than Mr. Stuyvesant. He’s just lovely. Only 
just plain Mr. Stuyvesant keeps him such a 
long way off, and he mustn’t be. Mother has 
adopted him, you know, ’cause we all agreed 
to lend part of her to him. So I must have a 
honey name for him. What were the other 
names they gave those old knights?” 


26 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


They were often called ‘ champions of 
their fair ladies,’ ” answered Constance, slip- 
ping her arm about Jean and drawing her 
close to her side. 

'‘That’s it! That just suits him, doesn’t 
it? He was my champion the day Jabe Rauls- 
bury turned old Baltie out to die in the road, 
and he has been a heap of times since when 
I’ve got into scrapes. So that’s what I’m 
going to call him. He is down on the piazza 
talking with mother about the new fence, and 
I’m going right straight down to ask him if 
I may call him Champion,” ended Jean, de- 
lighted with her new acquisition and bounding 
away. 

“Don’t interrupt Mother,” warned Con- 
stance, always a little doubtful of the outbreaks 
of the fly-away. 

Hadyn Stuyvesant had not only approved 
the name, but was delighted with the idea, 
and vowed from thenceforth to guard his 
“lady fair.” So “Champion” he was from 
that moment on, and, long as the name was, 


THE SILENT PARTNER 


27 


it had clung. The three years had not les- 
sened Jean’s love for him or his devotion to 
her. 

As Constance descended the stairs in quest 
of Jean she met Mammy at the foot. 

“Is yo’ Ma up in her room, Baby?” she 
asked. 

“Yes, Mammy, and just finishing the mar- 
keting list. Have you seen Jean? It is high 
time she started for school.”- 

“Dat’s de livin’ truf, an’ it’s what I done 
tol’ her a’reddy, but she boun’ ter go out 
yonder to see dat hawse.” 

“Then I’m bound to go out yonder after 
her,” laughed Constance, as she ran briskly 
down the hall, passed through the door which 
led to the piazza and opened upon the lawn. 
There was no sign of Jean, but Constance 
crossed the velvety turf to the stable at the 
further side of the grounds, passing on her 
way the candy kitchen, and calling cheerily 
to Mary Willing, who was already busy within : 
“Polly’s got her kettle on for our candee,” to 


28 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


be promptly answered by: “Yes, and it’s 
a-boiling, if you will come and see.” 

“Good! I will be there in just a minute. 
I’m hunting for Jean.” A moment later she 
turned the corner of the stable and came upon 
Jean and Old Baltie. 

To say that Old Baltie had become almost 
human during the four years spent in this 
home conveys very little idea of the mutual 
understanding existing between him and his 
friends, Jean and Mammy were, of course, 
his joint owners; but since his marriage to 
Mammy, Charles also claimed ownership. No 
one would have recognized the old horse for 
the one rescued by Jean. His coat was now 
as sleek as satin, his old body round and plump, 
his manners those of a thoroughly spoiled 
thoroughbred horse. It had not required all 
the four years spent with the Carruths to blot 
out the effects of Jabe’s harsh treatment, or 
to revive in Baltie the memory of his earlier 
days as Grandfather Rawlsbury’s pet. The 
interval in which he had fallen upon evil days 


THE SILENT PARTNER 


29 


had vanished as an ugly dream, and with no- 
bility’s inherent qualities, whether manifested 
in man or beast, he had dismissed the memory, 
risen above it, and with all of his noblesse oblige 
was helping others to do likewise. 

His wonderfully attuned ears were quick 
to catch the sound of Constance’s footfalls 
upon the soft turf, and he greeted her with 
a stifled nicker, for his position made a gen- 
tlemanly greeting well-nigh impossible : he was 
lying at full length upon a bed of sweet clover, 
bis head in Jean’s lap. These two were never 
in the positions or situations of their kind if 
they could possibly achieve others. 

“Hello!” called Jean, glancing up from 
pressing her cheek against one large satiny 
ear which she held against it. 

“Thought I’d find you here. Honey ; but I’ve 
got to hustle you off to school. Do you know 
what time it is?” 

“Only half-past eight, and we’re having a 
beau-ti-ful time, aren’t we, Baltie, dear?” 

“Hoo-hoo-hoo I” fluttered the delicate nos- 


30 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


trils. Constance dropped down beside Jean 
and ran her hand along the warm, sleek neck. 
Another nicker acknowledged the caress, but 
the great horse did not stir. The clear morn- 
ing sunshine flooded the paddock, Baltic’s lit- 
tle kingdom, and filtered through the gorgeous 
sugar maples overhead. The air was clear 
and crisp, the ground dry as though night 
dews were unknown, OfiF at the edge of the 
paddock a cricket shrilled his monotonous lit- 
tle song of the coming winter — a snug stable 
for the old horse and a warm fireside for his 
friends. 

“You really must go now, dear,” urged Con- 
stance, rising to her feet after a final caress. 

“Oh, dear, and he is so big and so warm 
and so soft and so good,” protested Jean. “But 
I s’pose I must. Come, Baltic, you’ve got to 
get up. Now ! All together !” and placing her 
arms beneath the great neck Jean gave the 
preliminary heave-ho! necessary to start the 
c!d horse. Four years before it would have 


THE SILENT PARTNER 


31 


been impossible for him to get to his feet, but, 
as Mammy insisted: 

“Charles Devon hadn’t been Massa Stark’s 
groom fer nothin’,” and she herself was a 
master hand at “mashargin” (Mammy’s pro- 
nunciation of massaging), a course of treat- 
ment to which Baltic had been most vigorously 
subjected, to the wonderful rejuvenation of his 
old bones and muscles. 

A horse, even in his most nimble days of 
colthood, does not rise from a prone position 
with any great degree of grace; yet Baltic 
might have given points to some of his younger 
brethren. Up came his head, the slender fore- 
feet were braced, there was a mighty heave 
and hoist, and Baltic stood upon all-fours, 
shaking clover leaves from his flanks. 

“Now fly, Jean! Be sure to take the par- 
cel for Mrs. Morgan. I’ll stop a moment with 
Baltic to make your peace for your abrupt 
departure,” said Constance, gayly, well know- 
ing that Jean’s leave-taking from her pet was 
usually a prolonged ceremony. 


32 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


Away hurried the little girl, leaving the older 
sister to spend the ensuing five minutes with 
the old horse, who nozzled and fussed over her 
as only a petted horse knows how. 

“Now, old silent partner, I must run away 
and look after my forewoman and get busy 
myself. Goodness, how the Carruth family 
is developing! Eleanor already offered a po- 
sition at Sunnymeade for next fall, my hum- 
ble self a full-fledged business woman with a 
flourishing trade; Jean junior partner with a 
private following of her own, and you, you dear, 
blind, faithful old creature, setting us all an 
example of faithfulness and devotion ; Mammy 
and Charles the biggest hit of the whole es- 
tablishment with their lunch counter, and yon- 
der the little girl whom Mother has made over 
brand new! No wonder I’m proud; no won- 
der I’m sometimes afraid my head will be 
turned by all our good fortune and success. 
Keep me headed right, Baltie. If you, without 
sight, can steer a straight course, surely I, 
with both my eyes to the good, ought to be 


THE SILENT PARTNER 


33 


able to. Good-bye, dear,” and clasping her 
arms around the sleek, warm neck, Constance 
stood perfectly still for a moment or two, her 
head pillowed upon the silky mane, her thoughts 
travelling rapidly back across the intervening 
years — years so full of effort, anxiety, hope, 
disappointment, love and faith. The one 
which was beginning with this October — for 
it was in October that she had begun her work 
four years before — was bidding fair to prove 
a crisis in all their lives. Instinctively the 
girl felt this. Girl in years, yes, but a little 
woman in executive ability, foresight and exe- 
cution, withal, still sweet and true, and retain- 
ing her faith in her fellow-beings. Never had 
she looked lovelier than at this moment stand- 
ing there in the glorious October sunlight, her 
arms clasped about the big bay horse, her eyes 
shining with hope, health, courage, her cheeks 
glowing. She was dressed for her morning’s 
work, her gown a simple tan-colored linen with 
white collar, cuffs and belt, a soft tie of brown 

silk at her throat. She was good to look at 
3 


34 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


this girl of nineteen, as she stood with such un- 
studied grace, the very personification of hope. 
Presently, with a little start, she came back to 
a realization of things around her, and with a 
parting caress for the blind horse ran lightly 
from the paddock across the lawn to the little 
candy kitchen, and entered with a cheery greet- 
ing. 


CHAPTER III. 


The Bee-hive. 

When three years before, Hadyn Stuyves- 
ant, the owner of the property rented by the 
Carruths, had followed out Constance Car- 
ruth’s plans for a model kitchen in which she 
could make her candy, he was not a little sur- 
prised at the sixteen-year-old girl’s practical 
ideas. She asked him to build an extension 
to the little cottage at the end of the grounds 
occupied by Mammy and Charles, and had 
drawn the plans and specifications herself. 
The result was a marvel to him. 

The extension consisted of three rooms on 
the first floor and two on the second. Upon 
entering the door one found one’s self in a 
good-sized room, with rubber-tiled floor all 
blue and white, the walls snowy in alabas- 
terine. Here on numberless white enamelled 
shelves were placed the boxes of candy ready 
( 35 ) 


36 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


for shipment. From this attractive room 
opened the packing room, floor, walls 
and ceiling scrupulous. Long zinc-covered 
tables ready for the pans of candy, little 
portable stands at hand to hold the boxes in 
which the candy was to be packed. Perhaps 
the most practical feature of this packing 
room was the height of the tables, or more 
correctly their lack of height. Constance 
had reason to know that one can be foot- 
weary after several hours spent in candy- 
making. Consequently these packing tables 
were made low enough to enable those work- 
ing at them to sit upon the comfortable bent- 
wood chairs while doing the work, which 
often required' several hours, for not only 
had the candy to be packed in its pretty 
boxes, but the boxes had to be wrapped and 
tied with dainty ribbons. Nothing must fall 
short of perfection. 

But the crowning point of Constance’s 
practicability was shown in the actual 
kitchen itself. This was also tiled, but the 


THE BEE-HIVE 


37 


tiles were of shining porcelain, washable, 
scrubable, scourable to the very limit. A big 
gas range stood at one side, near it hung 
pans, pots and kettles of every size and pos- 
sible need, all of white enamel ware. A big 
porcelain sink and draining tray stood next. 
Close at hand was a large table, its top of 
white marble warranted to withstand the 
hottest candy which could be poured upon it, 
to chill it quickly for handling or cutting, 
and to come forth from its boiling baptism 
immaculate under the alchemy of hot soap- 
suds. 

On the walls were great hooks, upon 
which to pull long ropes of molasses or 
cream candy. Along another side of the 
kitchen were shelves to hold the hundred 
and one ingredients which were to be trans- 
formed into the most toothsome of dainties, 
and these were too numerous to name. A 
spacious closet held aprons, caps, towels, 
dish-cloths and what not, needed in the 
work. 


38 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


On the floor overhead, and reached by a 
quaint little stairway from the shipping 
room, was the stock room, where boxes, 
labels, wrapping paper, twine, and a hundred 
other needfuls were kept. In one corner a 
business-like roll-top desk, with still more 
business-like ledgers, told of the ability of 
this little lady to keep track of her finances. 
And room number five? Ah, the eternal 
feminine! Who says she must waive all 
claim to her womanly instincts, merge them 
in the coarser, less refined ones of the hurry- 
ing, struggling world around her when she 
sets out to be a bread-winner among her 
masculine contemporaries? If some do this, 
Constance Carruth was not to be numbered 
among them, and no better proof of it could 
have been offered than the “fifth wheel to her 
business wagon,” as she laughingly called 
room number five. That little room is 
worthy of minute description. 

To begin with, the walls were tinted a soft 
ivory white, with a delft blue frieze running 


THE BEE-HIVE 


39 


around the top. The floor was of hard wood, 
with a pretty blue and white rug spread in 
the center. On this stood a white enamelled 
table, with snowy linen cover, a reading 
lamp, the several books and magazines testi- 
fying to its primal use. Four or five com- 
fortable wicker chairs, with cushions of 
pretty figured Japanese crepe, stood about. 
In one corner a couch with a delft blue and 
white cover and enough pillows to spell lux- 
ury, invited weary bodies to rest when labors 
were ended, and yet never once hinted that 
by removing the cover and pillows a bed 
stood ready for a guest if extra space w'ere 
needed. Book shelves of white enamelled 
wood filled half one side of the room, and 
held every sort of cook-book ever published, 
as well as many of Constance’s favorite au- 
thors. A white chififonnier held many neces- 
sary articles, for after one has spent several 
hours over a boiling kettle one longs for a 
tub and fresh garments; and all these were 
at hand in the big closet. Opening from this 


40 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


restful room was a perfectly appointed bath- 
room. Gould plans have been more perfect? 

Certainly the girl, bending over the big 
saucepan, stirring its boiling contents, felt 
that her little paradise had been gained when 
she changed from the bustling, rushing 
Arcade to the peace, tranquillity and refine- 
ment of her present surroundings. The acci- 
dent which short-circuited the switchboard 
wires in the telephone booth that eventful 
Labor Day had brought to Mary Willing, 
even at the cost of a good deal of physical 
suffering, present advantages and an outlook 
for the future such as she had never pictured. 
Indeed, her horizon had been much too cir- 
cumscribed for her imagination to reach so 
far. It needed the influence of and environ- 
ment of the past three years to make her 
fully appreciate the vast difference between 
the acquisitions which mere dollars can com- 
mand, and those which true refinement of 
heart, mind, soul and body hold as invalu- 
able and indeprivable heritages. Possibly 


THE BEE-HIVE 


41 


the best proof that she had taken the lesson 
to heart lay in the fact that “Pearl” Willing 
had completely dropped out of the world’s 
ken, and in her stead, quiet, dignified Mary 
Willing moved and had her being. Uncon- 
sciously Mrs. Carruth had undertaken to 
solve a knotty, sociological problem, but the 
results already obtained seemed to justify 
her belief that she was right in her estimate 
of this girl. At all events she had reason to 
be sanguine of ultimate success in bending a 
hitherto neglected twig. It needed courage, 
however, upon Mrs. Carruth’s part to under- 
take this reformation. From her childhood, 
to her nineteenth year Mary Willing’s en- 
vironment had been, if not demoralizing, cer- 
tainly detrimental to a higher development 
in any girl. Her associates were coarse, 
boisterous, heedless girls, without the faint- 
est sense of the fitness of things, or the first 
rudiments of refinement. To earn enough 
money to clothe themselves in shoddy finery, 
to contribute as small a percentage of their 


42 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


earnings to the family purse as possible, and 
to have as much “fun,” never mind at whose 
expense, or at what sacrifice of their own 
dignity, bounded their aims and ambitions. 
And Mary Willing had seen no reason for 
not following in their footsteps. Handsomer 
than any of her companions, and holding a 
position where her personal charms were 
conspicuous for all who passed to comment 
upon them, she had used them to attract the 
attention of those whom she thought likely 
to contribute to her pleasure. 

To make her more self-conscious, and 
senselessly pave the way to greater evil, her 
mother had continually urged her to make 
the most of her good looks while she had 
them, assuring her that unless she managed 
to “catch a rich husband with her handsome 
face she needn’t hope to get one at all.” 

Was it any wonder the girl grew up vain, 
shallow, and with standards poorly calcu- 
lated to withstand temptations if offered op- 
portunely? Still, there was a certain some- 


THE BEE-HIVE 


43 


thing in her which, up to her nineteenth year, 
had saved her from anything worse than 
shallow flirtations; and then when every- 
things seemed conspiring to lead her to more 
serious consequences of her folly, Fate had 
established close at her side a personality 
and atmosphere in such contrast to her own, 
and all she had ever known, that it acted as 
a dash of cold water acts upon a sleep- 
walker. At first she was startled, then 
roused, and finally thoroughly wakened to 
the perilous path she was following. 

But the strangest part of it all lay in the 
fact that the individual which capricious 
Dame Fate had used as her instrument never 
for one moment suspected that she was be- 
ing used at all, but continued on her sweet, 
cheery, sunny way entirely unconscious of 
her responsibilities. Perhaps therein lay her 
greatest strength. Then came the accident 
on the river, and Mrs. Carruth, quick to read 
and comprehend, found a field for the sweet- 
est missionary work a woman can enter 


44 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


upon — that of shaping the life of a young girl 
for the noblest position to which she can at- 
tain — a refined young womanhood, a beauti- 
ful wifehood, and a motherhood as perfect 
as God will give her grace to make it. Mary 
Willing could hardly have found a more 
beautiful example, and the three years had 
wrought miracles. 

Mrs. Carruth had made haste slowly. The 
first year Mary Willing entered upon her 
duties in the candy kitchen she went and 
came daily, learning and applying herself 
•with all the enthusiasm her gratitude to 
those she so admired and strove to emulate 
inspired. The relations between the girl and 
Constance were those of valued employee 
and respected employer. It could not have 
been otherwise. Mary had a vast deal to un- 
learn, the hardest of all things to accomplish, 
and when old impressions were effaced to 
begin an entirely new page. Gradually as 
time passed on the girl grew into her new 
environment. Old habits of manner and 


THE BEE-HIVE 


45 


speech gave way to gentler ones, old view- 
points shifted to those of these good friends, 
who had risen up at such a crucial point in 
her life and were fitting her to be a little 
woman in the truest sense. In the course of 
the three years just passed she and Con- 
stance had grown closer to each other. The 
latter, quick to see the former’s sincere de- 
sire to improve, and take advantage of every 
opportunity to do so, felt the keenest sym- 
pathy for her less fortunate sister, and the 
strongest desire to aid her. Mary’s aim and 
ambition was to grow “just exactly like Con- 
stance Carruth ! The dearest, best and love- 
liest girl that ever lived,” as she confided to 
her mother. The greatest obstacle to be 
overcome was the unhappy influence in 
Mary Willing’s own home life. It some- 
times seemed to Mrs. Carruth that whatever 
good they accomplished in the five and a half 
working days of the week was entirely un- 
,done during the one day and a half which the 
girl spent in the hurly-burly, the untidiness 


46 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


and hopeless shallowness of her own home, 
to say nothing of the coarsening influence of 
a worthless, dissipated father’s presence. 
Mrs. Carruth believed that Mary Willing 
had naturally been endowed with instincts 
far above the average of her class, though 
from what source inherited she could not un- 
derstand, and that all needed to develop 
them was a more wholesome atmosphere, 
wise guiding, and, of course, separation from 
former contaminating influences. But she 
bided her time and, when least expecting to 
do so, discovered the secret. At length, 
when she felt the moment to be ripe, she sug- 
gested most tactfully that Mary come to live 
with them, to occupy the little room which 
had once been Mammy’s, but, since her mar- 
riage to Charles, and her removal to the snug 
cottage adjoining the candy kitchen, had 
been newly decorated and furnished for what 
Jean, in her characteristic fashion, termed 
“the left-overs;” “left-overs” being any extra 
guest who might claim the hospitality of the 


THE BEE-HIVE 


47 


family when the other guest room was oc- 
cupied. It was a pretty little room, up in the 
third floor at the rear of the house, and 
overlooked the lawn, the candy kitchen. 
Mammy’s cottage, and the rolling country 
beyond owned by Jabe Raulsbury. It had 
been papered in the softest green paper, 
with garlands of pink roses as a border. The 
floor was carpeted with a deeper shade of 
ingrain filling, upon which lay two pretty 
rugs in pink and green. Dimity curtains, 
looped back with chintz bands, draped the 
windows. The furniture was of white 
enamel, with plain white iron bedstead. 
Cushions and coverings, as well as table and 
bureau scarfs, were of the chintz, edged with 
inexpensive lace — the bedspread of snowy 
white. Had the room been designed for 
Mary Willing’s rich coloring it could hardly 
have suited her more perfectly. But it had 
not; Fate was simply working out her 
scheme not only in color but in influence. 
How great the influence of that simple little 


48 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS ’ 


room would prove not even Mrs. Carruth 
suspected, although she was a firm believer 
in the influence of one’s surroundings. 

When Mrs. Carruth suggested that Mary 
remain with them in order to be at hand 
whenever needed in an emergency, and to 
avoid during the cold, stormy days of winter 
the long trip to and from her own home, the 
girl had responded with an eagerness which 
touched Mrs. Carruth very deeply. “And if 
I come here to live you must let me pay my 
board,” she cried, impulsively. Then, notic- 
ing the color which crept into the older 
woman’s face, she hastened to add, con- 
tritely: “Oh, dear me! Shall I ever learn 
how to say things? I’m — I’m so — I mean I 
know so little. Please forgive me, Mrs. Car- 
ruth. I didn’t stop to think how rude that 
was. I ought to have said you must not pay 
me such a large salary if you let me live here. 
I know that no amount of money that I could 
earn could pay my board. I’ve learned that 
much, you see, even if I don’t seem to have 


THE BEE-HIVE 


49 


learned very much more during the last two 
years. But I’m truly, truly trying hard to 
learn.” 

“I know it, dear. Perhaps I am over-sen- 
sitive. Old instincts are hard to overcome. 
No, I do not think we will change the salary. 
Constance had already thought of increasing 
the sum she is now paying you, for you earn 
it. Work has increased rapidly during these 
two years, and you are very proficient, and 
very valuable to her.” 

“Oh, I am so glad ! I want so much to be.” 

“You are; so live here with us, and let the 
little room and the ‘bread and salt’ stand as 
a part of your salary.” 

Mary Willing had never had occasion to 
enter this room, and when Constance led her 
to it upon the day she took up her residence 
with them, the girl stopped short upon the 
threshold, clasped her hands in a little ecs- 
tacy of rapture, and cried: “I’ll live up to 
every single thing in it, for only a gentle- 
woman could have arranged such a room, 
4 


50 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


and only a gentlewoman has any right to 
live in it. It just speaks of that dear, blessed 
little mother of yours from every corner, and 
from every single rose on the paper and the 
chintz; and if I don’t live to make her proud 
of me I shall want to know why.” 


CHAPTER IV. 


The Busy Bees. 

“I’m afraid the head of the firm is very late 
this morning,” cried Constance, merrily, as 
she entered the candy kitchen. Mrs. Carruth 
had long since given it the name of the Bee- 
hive. 

“I think the head of the firm has earned the 
right to arrive late if she wishes to,” answered 
Mary Willing, glancing backward over her 
shoulder as she stood before the gas range. 
Her arms were bared to the elbows, for the 
waist she wore was made with short sleeves, 
in order to give her perfect freedom in her 
work. They were beautiful arms, strong, 
well-rounded and smooth as ivory. 

“No, indeed, the head of the firm is a far 
cry from such indulgences, let me tell you. 
She has just heaps and loads to accomplish 
before she can arrive at such luxuries. But 

(51) 


52 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


how goes the candy, Mary? Are you ready 
for me yet?” 

“Not quite; but I shall be in just a few min- 
utes. See, it is beginning to rope,” was the re- 
ply as the candy-maker lifted a spoonful of 
the boiling syrup and let it run back into the 
kettle, the last drop falling from the spoon 
quickly forming into little threads, which wav- 
ered in the hot air rising from the range. 

“Better begin beating it now, and let me pop 
in the nuts; then we’ll pour it off,” answered 
Constance, her practical eye quick to see that 
another moment’s boiling might undo a morn- 
ing’s work. 

“Well, you’re the boss! Oh, I beg your 
pardon. Miss Constance, I didn’t mean that! 
I mean you’re — ” and the girl paused in con- 
fusion, her face coloring a deeper red than 
the heat and her work had brought there. 

“I’ll make believe I didn’t hear,” answered 
Constance, a softer light filling her eyes in 
place of the pained one which for a little in- 
stant had crept into them, as a cloud can cast 


THE BUSY BEES 


S3 


a momentary shadow upon a wind-swept, shin- 
ing October sea. 

“You have to make believe so many times,” 
answered the girl, contritely, as she lifted the 
kettle from the range, and placing it upon the 
marble table, began to beat vigorously. 

“Not nearly so often as I used to,” an- 
swered Constance, emptying into the kettle 
a great dish of walnuts. Mary again beat 
vigorously with her big spoon, shaking her 
head doubtfully the while. Constance did not 
look at her, but, arming herself with a large 
knife, guided the candy into the little grooves 
which would shape it as it was poured upon 
the table from the tilted kettle. One end of 
the table had been blocked out like a checker- 
board, each inch square lined for cutting the 
candy accurately. 

“Now watch me do my stunt,” she cried, 
standing with knife suspended over the fast 
chilling candy, and smiling up at the tall girl 
at her side. 

“Do you forgive my — my — oh, the things 


54 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

I’m forever saying that must feel just like a 
file drawn over your teeth ? If you only knew 
how hard it is to forget old ways and words 
and learn the better ones!” 

“Do you see that little motto over there?” 
asked Constance, pointing with her poised 
knife to a card, one of several hanging upon 
the wall of the kitchen. The one toward 
which she pointed was in dark blue letters upon 
a white ground. It read : “Forget It !” 

“Yes, that is just exactly what I am forever 
doing,” was Mary’s petulant reply. “If I 
didn’t forget all the time I’d never have to 
forget at all, and if that isn’t the finest bit of 
Irish you’ve ever heard, please improve on it 
if you can.” 

The laughter which floated out through the 
open door greeted Mrs. Carruth as she en- 
tered the packing room. 

“May I share the joke?” she asked. “I’m 
sure it must be a good one, and rich as the 
odors floating out to tempt nose and palate. 
Cut it quickly. Honey; I know it must be 


THE BUSY BEES 


55 


chilled enough and it does smell so good. 
Mary, you are a master hand. M — mm — m! 
A veritable lump of delight, though still slightly 
warm,” she ended as Constance dropped into 
her mouth a square of the nut fudge she had 
just cut from the great mass covering the 
table. 

“Sit down, Mumsey, dear, and be good, con- 
sequently happy, while we work like beavers. 
How does it chill so rapidly? Quick! Mary, 
you cut at that end while I work at this. We’ve 
pounds and pounds to get done this morning 
if we are to fill all the orders.” 

For a few moments only the swift swish 
of the great knives as they cut the candy could 
be heard, now and again one girl or the other 
catching up a square upon the end of her knife 
and pausing just long enough to offer it to 
Mrs. Carruth. Presently all was cut, and as 
it lay cooling they set to work upon the next 
batch to be made, Mary cleaning the fudge 
kettle while Constance got out another for the 
walnut creams,. Each kind of candy had its 


56 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


special cooking utensils, and no others were 
ever used for it. In a few minutes Constance 
had a second batch of candy bubbling upon her 
range, ready to turn over to Mary when she 
should have finished washing the kettles and 
other articles used in making the fudge. 

“I came out to be useful; may I prove it?” 
asked Mrs. Car ruth. 

“Just sit and watch us work. That helps,” 
answered Mary, as she relieved Constance. 

“Will you be just a heap happier if I let you 
help wrap the fudge in paraffin paper?” 
asked Constance as she nestled her head for a 
moment in her mother’s neck. Eh? Will 
you? You busy body. Why can’t you let us 
do all the work and so win all the glory? I 
suspect you’re a terribly selfish mother; yes, I 
do. You needn’t protest. You won’t even let 
your girls, real own ones or adopted ones, make 
their sticky marks in this world in peace. You 
must come poking out here to buzz around in 
the hive and beg honey.” 

“I don’t have to beg, for it is voluntarily 


THE BUSY BEES 


57 


given,” laughed Mrs. Carruth, kissing the soft 
cheek so close to her lips. “This kind I mean, 
and I know of none sweeter.” 

“Gross flattery! Now I know you are 
scheming, so Tess right off,” cried Constance, 
whirling around to peer into her mother’s face, 
and break into a merry laugh. 

Mrs. Carruth pursed up her lips into a de- 
risive pucker, and looked into the merry eyes 
of this sunshiny daughter. 

“And if I am, what then ?” she asked. 

“I knew it!” was the triumphant retort. 
“But I dare not waste time bringing you to 
order now. Yes, you may help wrap. If any- 
thing will wheedle you into being good, let- 
ting you get busy will,” ended Constance, 
turning to the table and deftly lifting the 
squares to the flat pans upon which they were 
to be carried to the packing room. 

“Shoo along in there and get busy if you 
must, and while you are getting sticky enough 
to satisfy even yourself, you will tell me what 
is simmering. And mind, Mary can hear, too ; 


58 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

so if it is too anarchistic she will come to the 
rescue. Oh, you can’t do as you used to. 
Whyfor do I make candy by the pounds innu- 
merable ? Whyfor do I send it to tickle many 
palates? Whyfor do I take in dollars galore? 
All, all to keep you from running olf on some 
wild project whereby you shall earn as many 
more dollars to my utter undoing, lost glory 
and disgrace appalling to contemplate in a girl 
who has a tendency to grow fat — yes, fat!” 

As she rattled on with her nonsense Con- 
stance worked busily getting out her paraf- 
fin paper, the necessary boxes and the dainty 
ribbons with which to tie them. Then seat- 
ing herself beside her mother, who was already 
busy wrapping the fudge in its little squares 
of paraffin, she began packing the candy in its 
boxes. 

“Now, what is it?” she asked, looking quiz- 
zically into the sweet, lovable face. Mrs. Car- 
ruth laughed a low, little laugh as she asked: 
“Why are you so sure that it is anything?” 

“I know the signs. They have periodical 


THE BUSY BEES 


59 


simmerings, sort of seismic rumblings, so to 
speak,” nodded Constance, working swiftly. 

“I feel such a drone in a busy hive — ” be- 
gan Mrs. Carruth, then hesitated. 

“I knew it! Mary, it has bubbled to the 
surface again,” Constance called into the kit- 
chen, where brisk footsteps testified to the oc- 
cupant’s industry. 

“Shall I come to your rescue?” was the 
laughing question. 

“Not yet; I’m still able to handle her, though 
there is no telling how soon she will get be- 
yond me. I’ll call you if I, see signs,” was 
called back. “Now go on, you incorrigible 
woman, and tell your long-suffering child what 
bee you have buzzing in your bonnet now. A 
brand new fall bonnet, too! It’s outrageous 
to so misuse it after all the trouble I’ve been 
put to to induce you to indulge in it ‘at all, and 
not sneak off to Madame Elsie with a lot of old 
finery to be made over into a creation war- 
ranted (by her) to deceive the keenest eye. 
Oh, I know your sly ways, and have to lie awake 


6o THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


nights to think how to thwart them. You sly, 
wicked woman, to deprive me of my sorely 
needed rest and beauty sleep. Why, I’m 
growing thin — ” 

“Alas for consistency!” interrupted Mrs. 
Carruth, derisively. “A moment ago you as- 
sured me you were growing fat. That scores 
me one, and entitles me to have my little say-so 
and hold my own against this conspiracy of — 
how many shall I say? Six. Yes, think of 
the outrageous odds brought against one weak 
woman.” 

“Weak! Weak! Why, it requires all the 
energy and shrewdness the combined force can 
bring to bear upon her to keep her within 
bounds, doesn’t it, Mary?” 

“And we don’t always do it then,” was the 
bantering reply. 

“No, we do not,” was the emphatic agree- 
ment. “Neither Mammy, Charles, Eleanor, 
Jean, Hadyn, you, nor I can feel sure that we 
have settled her vaulting ambitions at once 


THE BUSY BEES 


6i 


and for all time. Is your candy ready for me 
yet? — Don’t need me? Very well, I’ll keep at 
this job, then; it’s a co-operative job, and the 
hardest part of it is to hold down my rival. 
There, those boxes are all packed, and now, 
Madame busy-body. I’m ready to listen. No, 
you are not going to tie bows while you talk, 
it gives you too great an advantage. Look 
right straight into my eyes, and while you con- 
fess your desires to transgress you shall keep 
up a sub-conscious train of thought along this 
line: ‘This is my second daughter, Constance 
Blairsdale Carruth. She is past nineteen 
years of age. She weighs one hundred and 
eighteen pounds. She still possesses all her 
faculties unimpaired. Is endowed (I hope!) 
with the average degree of intelligence and 
common sense. She has never been ill a day 
in her life (whistle and knock wood when you 
think that), and she is taking mighty good care 
of the health she enjoys. She has been at 
work four years transmuting syrups and su- 
gars into dollars and cents, in which under- 


62 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


taking she has met with rather amazing suc- 
cess, and is going to meet with even greater. 
Her plan is to make one dear, blessed little 
mother quite independent, and — please God — 
(these words were spoken in a mere whisper) — ^ 
she will compass it. Now, are you going to 
let her do all this quite untrammeled, or are 
you going to worry her by suggesting all man- 
ner of wild plans for doing things for your- 
self?” 

Constance had risen from her chair while 
speaking, and dropped upon her knees before 
her mother to clasp her arms about her waist 
and look into the face she loved best on earth. 
The girl’s expression was half grave, half 
merry, though wholly sweet and winning. 

Mrs. Carruth took the upraised face in both 
her hands, bent toward it, rested her lips upon 
the soft, silky hair, and said gently: 

“Dear heart, dear heart; my dauntless little 
daughter. Yes, you are doing all and far 
more than you have said, and that is exactly 
the reason I wish to contribute my share. 


THE BUSY BEES 63 

Can’t you see, dear, that I feel such a dull, dull 
drone in this busy hive?” 

“Dull? — when you keep the hive in such 
running order that we never even suspect 
where the machinery which runs it is located. 
Dull? — when you keep our home as charming 
in every detail as it was when you had ample 
means at your command to conduct it. Dull? 
— when you are here every moment as its 
sweet and gracious head to make it such a 
home as few know in this northern world, 
where homes for the most part mean simply 
a roof to cover one, and under which food is 
served three times daily. Mother, can’t you 
see and feel what you are doing for us girls? 
How you are surrounding us with an atmos- 
phere so beautiful, so exceptional in these days 
of hurry and bustle that its influence must bide 
with us all our days and remain a dear mem- 
ory all our lives ? We may leave it sooner or 
later, other duties may call us away, but noth- 
ing, nothing can ever deprive us of all this — ” 
Constance raised one arm to sweep it compre- 


64 THREE little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


hensively over the room in which they sat and 
all-embracingly beyond. “So please let all 
rest as it is. Let Nonnie work away at col- 
lege, and later — ” here a merry twinkle filled 
the girl’s eyes — “let her, well, let her take up 
the co-ed plan, if she likes. Things seem shap- 
ing that way if the signs can be trusted. Let 
me boil a way to fame and fortune. Let Jean 
— if Fate so decrees — though by the same to- 
ken I’ve a notion she won’t, follow in Nonnie’s 
footsteps. Alack! Jean’s energies do not 

point toward the campus of college. I 

misdoubt,” and Constance smiled. Then, 
turning serious again, she resumed : “Will you 
promise me something?” 

“Will you first listen to my little plan ?” was 
her mother’s counter question. 

“Yes, I’ll listen.” 

“You know how I delight in fancy work, 
dear, and there is such a field for embroidery 
and other kinds I do so well. The Woman’s 
Exchange, you know.” 

“You may do all you want to — ^yards, 


THE BUSY BEES 


65 


pounds, dozens, heaps — however it is described 
— but you must do it for our home, not other 
people’s. I’ll tell you what you may do, all 
against the coming climax, for it is coming, 
you mark my words : You begin right now and 
make dozens of the daintiest pieces of under- 
wear imaginable — ” 

“Oh, Constance!” cried Mrs. Carruth, re- 
proachfully, the softest rose creeping into her 
cheeks. 

“Can’t help it I” protested Constance. “ I 
know that co-ed plan will develop. My heart ! 
Do you think I’m blind as a bat ? When a man 
bids a girl good-bye at a railway station and 
helps her on board the smoking-car instead of 
the Pullman, and neither of them knows the 
difference — well. You just wait till spring, 
my lady. It is a case of ‘I smell a mouse, I 
feel him in the air,’ etc., get busy, Mumsey, 
get busy. The entire winter won’t be too long, 
I tell you; for when that explosion takes place 
it will be with a bang, you mark my words.” 

“Connie, Connie, this is dreadful!” 

5 


66 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


“May be/’ answered Constance, wagging 
her head dubiously; “but I’m afraid we must 
resign ourselves to it. Mercy only knows how 
she will come home at Thanksgiving. I be- 
lieve he is to meet her. I’m prepared for a 
box car or even a flat car. Yes, it is dreadful, 
you are quite right. Wonder how it will affect 
me if I ever succumb? But take my advice, 
get busy, Mumsey, and, dear, remember 
this — ” swiftly the tone changed from the jest- 
ing one to the tenderest as the girl rested her 
head upon her mother’s shoulder: “You rep- 
resent home to us girls. Without you it would 
be the harp without its strings, the organ with- 
out its pipes. It would disintegrate. Keep 
it for us. Try to feel that you are doing far 
more in our busy hive by just being our Queen 
Bee than you ever could by going abroad in 
the land to gather the honey. Let us do that, 
and remember this — I read it not long ago and 
I’ll never forget it : — 


THE BUSY BEES 


67 


‘The beautiful gracious mother, 

Wherever she places her chair, 

In the kitchen (this one) or the parlor. 
The center of home is there.’ 

Ready for me in there, Mary? Mother is per- 
ishing for occupation, and I’ve scolded her 
as much as I dare,” and, with a tender kiss 
upon her mother’s cheek, the girl ran swiftly 
into the next room. 


CHAPTER V. 


Mammy Makes Investigations. 

“Press de Lord, we ain’t got ter run 
no counter on Thanksgiving Day!” was 
Mammy’s fervent exclamation, as she rose 
from her bed on the Monday preceding 
Thanksgiving Day. Hurrying across the 
room she opened the draughts in the little 
stove, for Charles’ rheumatic twinges must 
not be aggravated by the sudden chill of 
rising from a warm bed to dress in a cold 
room. The fire had been carefully covered 
the night before, and now, replenished by a 
few shovelfuls of coal, and a vigorous shake 
of the revolving grate, was soon snapping 
and roaring right comfortably. The rattling 
had served more than one end, as had the 
clatter made by putting on the fresh fuel. 
Although Mammy had no idea of permitting 
her spouse to contract a cold from dressing 
in a cold room, she, on the other hand, saw 
( 68 ) 


MAMMY MAKES INVESTIGATIONS 69 


no reason why he should indulge in over- 
many morning winks after she, herself, had 
risen and begun the duties of the day. 

“Eh? Um, yas, Honey,” came in som- 
nolent tones from the billows of feathers in 
which Charles’ shiny bald pate, with its 
fringe of snowy wool, was nearly buried. 
Mammy could not abide the new-fangled 
hair mattresses, but clung tenaciously to her 
bygone ideas of “real downright comfort fer 
a body dat’s clar beat out when de day’s 
done. No, sir-ee! Don’t talk ter me ob dese 
hyar ha’r mattresses. I ain’t got a mite er 
use fer ’em needer has Charles, if I ses-so. 
Give me de suah ’nough fedders wid de down 
on ’em ; none ob yo’ hawse ha’r stuffed bags. 
De fedders fits wherever dey teches, ’an 
snugs up mighty soft on de achy spots, but 
dose highfalutin’ h’ar mattresses, — well, dey 
jest lak dese hyar Norf folks we meet up wid: 
ef yo’ kin fit dem, well an’ good, yo’s all 
right, but does, yo’ t’ink dey’s gwine ter try fer 
ter fit yo’ ? Go ’long, chile.” 


70 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


Consequently the bed, which stood in the 
bedroom of the little cottage in which 
Mammy and Charles lived, boasted a feather 
bed, the like of which for downiness and size 
was rarely seen. It had been made by 
Mammy herself of the downiest of feathers, 
plucked by her own hand from the downiest 
of her own geese, hatched under her own 
critical eyes when she was a young woman 
on her old master’s plantation. It had taken 
many geese, many days, much drying and 
curing to achieve such a triumph; and the 
“baid” was Mammy’s most cherished posses- 
sion. The airings, sunnings, beatings and 
renovatings to which it had been subjected 
during the years she had owned it would 
have totally wrecked any less perfect article 
of household economy; but it had survived 
all, and each morning, after its prescribed 
hours of airing, was “spread up” into a most 
imposing mound, covered with a “croshey” 
spread, made by the sanctified hands of “ol’ 
Miss” (Mrs. Carruth’s mother), and still 


MAMMY MAKES INVESTIGATIONS 71 


further adorned by “piller shams,” made by 
“Miss Jinny” herself. 

More than one of Mrs. Carruth’s guests 
had been conducted through Mammy’s cottage 
by its proud inmate, and the “baid” and its 
coverings displayed ■with justifiable pride. 

“Yas, wake up!” commanded Mammy, 
making her own toilet with despatch. “We’s 
got a pile o’ wo’k ter do terday, an’ I’se got- 
ter see dat dose no count nigger gals what’s 
a-pertendin’ ter do Miss Jinny’s wo’k now-a- 
days gits a move on ’em. Dey pesters me 
mightily, dough I ain’t let ’em ’spect it, I 
tells yo’. Ef I did dey’d jes nachelly climb 
right ober de house an’ ebery las’ pusson in 
it. But I knows how ter han’le ’em ef Miss 
Jinny don’t. She t’ink she gwine do it jes lak 
she useter back yonder on her Pa’s planta- 
tion, but it don’ do up hyar. Trouble is wid 
dese hyar Norf niggers dey ain’ know dey is 
niggers, and dey gits mighty mix in dey 
minds twell somebody come along and tells 
’em jest ’zackly what dey is, an’ whar dey 


72 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

b’longs at. I done tol’ dem two in yonder, 
an’ I reckon dey’s learnt a heap since I done 
took ’em in han’. Yas, I does. Dey don’ 
come a-splurgin’ an’ a-splutterin’ roun’ me no 
mo’ wid dey, ‘Dis hyar ain’ ma juty. I ain’ 
’gaged fer ter do dat wuk.’ My Lawd! I 
come pretty nigh bustin’ dat Lilly May’s 
haid las’ week when I tell her ter do sumpin’ 
an’ she say dat ter me. She foun’ out what 
her juty was, an’ she ain’t fergit it again, I 
tell yo’. Now come ’long down, Charles, I 
gwine have brekfus ready befo’ yo’ get yo’ 
wool breshed,” and oflf hurried the old 
woman to begin the routine of her more than 
busy day. 

The clock was striking five when Charles 
came slowly down the stairs and entered the 
immaculate kitchen. The past three years 
had dealt kindly with the old couple in spite 
of their incessant labors. Mammy was not 
changed in the least. Charles is a trifle more 
bent, perhaps, but the three years have cer- 
tainly not detracted from the old man’s ap- 


MAMMY MAKES INVESTIGATIONS 73 


pearance, nor have they robbed him of any 
strength. Indeed, he seems in better health 
and physical condition than upon the day 
he celebrated his golden wedding. Mammy 
has made up for the lost years by caring for 
him as she would have cared for a child. 

The business which they started in the 
Arcade has flourished and prospered beyond 
their wildest hopes. Charles still holds the 
honorary position of “J^^nitor-in-Chief” at 
the Arcade, a sinecure in every sense of the 
word excepting one; he keeps the acting 
janitor up to the high mark in the perform- 
ance of his duties, greatly to Mr. Porter’s 
amusement. He also keeps the dapper mul- 
atto youth, who now serves at the lunch 
counter headed due north. To that young 
man Charles is ‘‘Mr. Devon,” of the firm of 
“Blairsdale & Devon.” 

At the cottage Mammy still cooks, bakes, 
preserves and concocts with all her wonder- 
ful skill, assisted by a little colored girl, the 
eldest of those whom Jean impressed upon 
Mammy’s wedding day. 


74 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


Oh, Mammy is a most important person- 
age these days. 

Breakfast over in the little cottage, and it 
was a breakfast fit for a king, Mammy began 
issuing her orders like a general, and Charles 
lived only to obey. 

“Now hike in dar an’ git de furnace a-goin’ 
good, an’ den go ’long ter de gre’t house an’ 
have it good an’ warm befo’ dem chillern 
wakes up. I cyant have em’ ketchin’ cold, 
an’ de mawnin’s right snappy,” she said, as 
dish-towel in hand she looked out of her 
kitchen door at the glistening world, for a 
heavy hoar frost covered lawn and foliage, 
prophesying a storm before many days. 

“Here, put on yo’ coat ! What’s de use ob 
my rubbin’ yo’ shoulder wid linnimint ef yo’ 
gwine right spang out dis here warm kitchen 
inter de chill ob de mawnin’ widout wroppin’ 
up? Laws-a-massy, it tek nios’ de whole en- 
durin’ time ter keep you from doin’ foolish- 
nesses, I clar it do.” 

Charles chuckled delightedly. It was, on 


MAMMY MAKES INVESTIGATIONS 75 


the whole, rather flattering to be so cher- 
ished and looked after as he had been during 
the last three years. Poor old soul, those he 
had spent alone had been barren enough of 
care or comforts. 

“You needn’t ter snort dat-a-way,” pro- 
tested his dominating wife. “I’s only jes’ 
a-watchin’ out fer my own sake. I’se got a 
sight ter do ’sides nussin’ rheumatics an’ 
tekin’ keer sick folks wid a misery in dey 
backs.” 

“Honey, yo’s a wonder. Yas, yo’ is,” was 
Charles’ parting rejoinder, as he toddled off 
to the duties, which to him, as well as to 
Mammy, were labors of love. Before many 
minutes had passed the little candy kitchen 
was snug and warm for its mistress, and 
then the old man made his way to the 
“gre’t house,” as he and Mammy, true to 
earlier customs, always called the home 
which sheltered their white folks. Mammy 
had already finished her own household 
tasks and met him at the door. Together 


76 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


they entered the silent house, their key 
making not the slightest sound, lest they 
disturb the sleeping inmates. The maids 
now in Mrs. Carruth’s service did not sleep 
in the house, but came at seven each morn- 
ing, and woe betide the tardy one ! Mammy 
was always on hand, and her greeting was 
governed by the moment of the said dam- 
sel’s arrival. There were a few duties, how- 
ever, which Mammy would permit no other 
than herself to perform. She must see that 
the breakfast table was properly laid, the 
breakfast under way and the rooms dusted, 
aired and warmed before she stole softly 
upstairs to call her “chillern.” Then she 
turned all over to her dusky satellites, and 
at once became grand high potentate and 
autocrat. 

It was a few minutes past seven when she 
entered Mrs. Carruth’s room with a cheery 
“Mawnin’, honey. ’Spose ef I lets yo’ sleep 
any longer yo’ gwine give me sumpin’ I 
ain’t cravin’ fer ter git. Cyant fer de life er 


MAMMY MAKES INVESTIGATIONS 77 

me see why yo’ boun’ ter git up dese 
mawnin’s. Why won’ yo’ let me bring up 
yo’ tray, honey?” said the good old soul, 
moving softly about the room, raising the 
window shades and turning on the valve of 
the radiator. 

“Because I have all I can do as it is to 
keep you and the girls from spoiling me com- 
pletely,” returned Mrs. Carruth, as she rose 
from her bed and stepped into the adjoining 
bathroom, where Mammy already had her 
bath prepared. 

“Well, it’s de biggest job we-all ever is 
tackled,” insisted the old woman, as she 
placed a chair before the dressing table and 
took from the closet the garments Mrs. Car- 
ruth would need for the day. Since sunnier 
times had come to this home Mammy had 
fallen back into old habits. The “chillern,” 
as she called Eleanor, Constance and Jean, 
were called before their mother was awak- 
ened, but “Miss Jinny” claimed her undi- 
vided attention, and it would have nearly 


78 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


broken Mammy’s loving old heart had Mrs. 
Carruth denied her this privilege, so long 
made impossible by the strenuous days and 
manifold duties following upon the misfor- 
tunes which succeeded Mr. Carruth’s death. 

The delight of Mammy’s life was to assist 
at her “Miss Jinny’s” toilet, as she had done 
in her mistress’ girlhood days — to brush and 
arrange the still abundant hair, and to hand 
her a fresh handkerchief and say,, as she had 
said to the young girl years ago : 

“Gawd bless yo’, honey! Yo’ is as sweet 
as de roses dis mawnin’.” 

When all was completed to her satisfac- 
tion, and Mrs. Carruth was about to leave 
the room. Mammy remarked, with well- 
assumed indifference: 

“I ’spose dat Lilly done got Miss Nonnie’s 
room all fix jes right, but I reckons I better 
cas’ ma eyes ober it; cyant trus’ dese girls 
wid no ’sponserbility, nohow.” 

“I think everything is in perfect order. 
Mammy, but I dare say you will feel happier 


MAMMY MAKES INVESTIGATIONS 79 


if you give those little touches which you 
alone can give. Eleanor will recognize them 
and be happier because you gave them. It 
will be a joy to us all to have her back again, 
won’t it, although she has not been away so 
very long after all.” 

“No’m, she ain’t. How long she gwine be 
wid us dis time?” 

“Not quite a week. Mammy. She will 
reach here this afternoon and must leave us 
early Saturday; Thanksgiving holidays are 
short ones. We shall have her longer at 
Christmas, then we will count the days till 
Easter, and after that to June, when we will 
have her for a long, long holiday, and col- 
lege days will be ended.” 

“M’m-u’m,” nodded Mammy, drawing the 
coverings from the bed and laying them 
carefully over chairs to air. “Spec she’ll find 
dat trip down from up yonder mighty tire- 
some. Trabblin’ all alone is sort of fraz- 
zlin’.” 

“She is hardly likely to travel alone. 


8o THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


Mammy. So many of her college mates will 
be journeying the same way, and even if they 
were not, she will be pretty sure to meet Mr. 
Forbes; he was obliged to run up to Spring- 
field on Saturday and expects to return to- 
day. They may meet on the same train.” 

Mammy was looking out of the window. 
It would have made very little difference had 
she been facing Mrs. Carruth. Her face was 
absolutely inscrutable, as she answered: 

“ ’Spec dat would save Miss Nonnie a heap 
ob trouble. Yas’m, mebbe dey will meet up 
wid one anoder.” 

Mrs. Carruth went upon her way to the 
breakfast room. Mammy had learned all she 
wished to know. 

At four o’clock that afternoon Miss Jean 
Carruth was perched upon her point of van- 
tage, from which every object approaching 
her home could be descried. It was not a 
particularly easy point to reach, but that 
only added to its attraction ; nobody else was 
likely to choose it. Nearly everyone sought 


MAMMY MAKES INVESTIGATIONS 8i 

the terrace, the piazza, or the upper windows 
in preference to the stable roof, even though 
the stable roof boasted a delightful assort- 
ment of gables and dormer windows, to say 
nothing of a broad gutter, around which one 
could prance at the imminent risk of a 
header to the ground, at least twelve feet 
below. In the golden haze of that mellow 
November afternoon, for autumn lingered 
late this year, Jean sat curled up in her cor- 
ner, her chin resting in her palms, and her 
wonderful eyes fixed upon the road leading 
up the hill to her home. It was in reality 
more street than road, but was nearly always 
mentioned as the “hill road,” owing to its 
contrast to the broader highway from which 
it branched and zig-zagged up the hill to 
the more sparsely settled section of River- 
edge. The watcher commanded all its 
length. Presently the shining eyes lighted 
up with a queer, half-delighted, half-defiant 
expression. Far down the road a vehicle 

was approaching; it was one of the railroad 
6 


82 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


station surreys, and in it were seated two 
people, besides the driver: two people quite 
oblivious to all the rest of the world, if one 
could judge by their absorbing interest in 
each other, for the keen eyes watching them 
could discern this, even from their owner’s 
distance from the surrey. 

“Um.” The utterance might be inter- 
preted almost any way. Then, ‘‘Now, I dare 
say, we’ve got to have him here all this even- 
ing, and all to-morrow, and all the next day, 
and all every day; and I don’t want him 
around every single minute. My goodness, 
it was bad enough before Nonnie left for 

College; we never could get a single 

word in edgeways. I wonder if he’s going to 
board here? I used to like him when he just 
came to see us all, but now he’s tickled to death 
if everybody’s engaged when he shows up; 
everybody but Nonnie. I reckon I’ve got to 
take things in hand. Nonnie’s only twenty- 
one, and he’s, he’s? I do believe he’s about 
forty-one, though I never could get him to 


^L\MMY FLAKES INVESTIGATIONS 83 


telL But it doesn’t make any difference! 
He’s too old for Nonnie, and I’m not going 
to let him have her,” was the emphatic con- 
clusion to this monologue, as Jean scrambled 
to her feet and g^ve a defiant nod toward the 
vehicle, which had just drawn up in front of 
the carriage block. At that moment Mrs. 
Carruth and Constance hurried down the 
steps to gjeet the new arrivals. Evidently 
the welcome accorded the masculine member 
of the party aroused a keen sense of resent- 
ment in Jean, and some manner of outlet for 
her feelings became imperative. Physical 
exercise was her usual safety-valve, and in 
this instance she chose one which had on for- 
mer occasions proved effective, and more 
than once brought Mammy to the verge of 
nervous prostration, and the dire prophecy 
that “sooner or later dat chile gwine brek 
her neck.” As before stated, the gutter was 
wide, it was also a stoutly constructed one 
.of galvanized iron, but it had not been de- 
signed for a promenade, much less a running 


84 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


track for athletic training. Nevertheless, it 
had to serve as one this time, for Jean 
started running around it as though bent 
upon its destruction, or her own. It came 
near proving her own, for just as Homer 
Forbes was placing a couple of suit cases 
upon the piazza he chanced to catch sight of 
the prancing demoiselle, and with a shout of: 
“Great Josephus ! Are you courting sud- 
den death ?” made a wild dash for the stable. 

With a defiant skip, Jean made for the 
other side at top speed, lost her balance, 
slipped, and the next second was hanging 
suspended by her arms between earth and 
sky. Had she not been lithe as a cat she 
never could have saved herself. Forbes was 
nearly petrified. 

“Hang on! Confound it, what took you 
up there, anyway?” he cried, with no little as- 
perity, as the others hurried across the lawn 
to the trapeze performer’s rescue. 

“My feet took me up and my hands are 
keeping me here. Stand from under! I’m 
going to drop.” 



Jean Was Hanging Between Earth And Sky 



MAMMY MAKES INVESTIGATIONS 85 


“Drop nothing!” was the very un-savant 
like retort. “You’ll break both your legs. 
Hold on till I can get up there,” and the 
would-be rescuer darted within the stable. 

How she managed it no one could quite 
grasp, but there was a flutter of skirts, a 
swing, and Jean was in a little heap upon 
the soft turf. Springing lightly to her feet 
and dusting the grass from her palms, she 
said: 

“Hello, Nonnie ! I got him out of the way 
long enough to hug you without having him 
watch how it’s done. Reckon he’ll learn 
soon enough without me to teach him. 
Come on into the house, quick. He’ll find 
out that I’m not killed when he looks out of 
the window.” 

If Mrs. Carruth seemed resigned, Con- 
stance quite convulsed and Eleanor unduly 
rosy, Jean seemed oblivious of those facts. 


CHAPTER VI. 


Thanksgiving. 

With the happier outlook resulting from 
Constance’s success in her candy-making, it 
had been deemed advisable to send Jean to the 
private school from which Eleanor had grad- 
uated. Consequently, that autumn Jean had 
been enrolled among its pupils, and her place 
in the public school at which she and Con- 
stance had been pupils knew her no more, and 
Jean was much divided in her mind as to 
whether she was made happier or otherwise 
by the change. In the old school were many 
friends whom she loved dearly, and whom she 
missed out of her daily life. In the new one 
was her boon companion, Amy Fletcher, and 
also a number of the girls whom she constantly 
met in the homes of her mother’s friends. But 
Jean was a loyal little soul, and her interest in 
( 86 ) 


THANKSGIVING 


87 


her fellow-beings a lively one. She could 
hardly have been her mother’s daughter other- 
wise. Naturally in the public school were 
many children from the less well-to-do fami- 
lies of Riveredge, and not a few from those in 
very straitened circumstances. Among the 
latter were three girls very near Jean’s own 
age. They were sisters, and were ambitious 
to complete the grammar school course, in or- 
der to fit themselves for some employment. 
There were other children older and other chil- 
dren younger; in fact, there seemed to be no 
end to the children in the Hodgeson family, 
a new one arriving upon the scene with the 
punctuality of clockwork. This fact had 
always disturbed Jean greatly. 

“If there only ivoiild come an end to the 
Hodgesons,” she lamented to her mother. 
“The trouble is, we no sooner get settled down 
and think we’ve reached the end than we have 
to begin all over again. Those babies keep 
things terribly stirred up. Don’t you think 
you could make Mrs. Hodgeson understand 


88 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


that she could get on with fewer of them, 
Mother? You see, the clothes never do hold 
out, and as for that last baby carriage you 
managed to get for her, why, it’s just a wreck 
already. The other day, when I went by there 
on my way to the Irving School, I saw Billy 
Hodgeson riding the newest and the next new- 
est, and the third newest in it, and the third 
newest had a puppy in his arms. No carriage 
could stand all that, could it?” 

“I’m afraid not, dear. Perhaps we had bet- 
ter ask some other friends if they have a car- 
riage they no longer need.” 

“Oh, no, don’t! Please, don’t! If you do, 
Mrs. Hodgeson will think she’s got to get a 
brand new baby to put into it, for the old 
babies wouldn’t match, you know. No, please, 
don’t.” 

“Very well ; we must let them get on with the 
old ones, both babies and carriage, I see,” Mrs. 
Carruth answered, much amused. 

“Yes, I really would; but here is something 
that’s bothering me,” and Jean snuggled close 


THANKSGIVING 


89 


into the encircling arms of the big chair in 
which she and her mother sat for this twilight 
hour conference. 

“What are they going to do when Thanks- 
giving Day conies ? No turkey on earth would 
be big enough to go ’round, even if they could 
buy one, which I don’t believe they can. I was 
talking to Mrs. Hodgeson about it just the 
other day, and she said she was afeered her man 
couldna buy one nohow this year ; they was so 
terrible intortionate in the prices,” concluded 
Jean, lapsing unconsciously into the slipshod 
Mrs. Hodgeson’s vernacular. 

“I think she must have meant extortionate,” 
corrected Mrs. Carruth. 

“Perhaps she did; I don’t know. But I’ll 
bet five cents they won’t have a thing when 
the day comes around, and I think that’s 
awful.” 

“We are sending out a number of baskets 
from the church, and I have asked that one be 
sent to the Hodgesons,” was Mrs. Carruth’s 
hopeful reply. It was not welcomed as she 
anticipated. 


90 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


“That won’t do a bit of good,” answered 
Jean, with a dubious shake of her copper- 
tinted head. “Not a single bit, for when Mrs. 
Hodgeson said she reckoned they’d have to get 
along without a turkey I said right off that I 
thought I could manage one all right, ’cause 
you could get one sent to her. My, but she got 
mad ! And she told me she guessed she could 
get along without no charity turkey; that 
Hodgeson always had managed to fill up the 
young ones somehow, and if he couldn’t do it 
on turkey this year he could do it on salt pork. 
Ugh! Wouldn’t that be awful? Why, Mam- 
my won’t have salt pork near her except for 
seasoning use, as she calls it. No, we’ve got 
to do something else for those everlasting 
Hodgesons.” 

Mrs. Carruth thought the term well applied, 
even though she did not say so; they were 
everlasting. But she was hardly prepared 
for Jean’s solution of the problem with which 
she had seen fit to burden her youthful shoul- 
ders. 


THANKSGIVING 


91 


Mrs. Carruth’s Thanksgiving guests were 
Hadyn Stuyvesant and Homer Forbes. Her 
table was laid for six, and a pretty table it was, 
suggestive in its decorations of the day. Ac- 
cording to her Southern traditions, the meal 
was ordered for two o’clock instead of the more 
fashionable hour favored by her Northern 
friends. Her guests had arrived, and Charles, 
the very personification of the old family ser- 
vitor, had just announced with all the elegance 
and mannerism of which he was capable: 

“De Madam is sarved.” 

Upon this day Mammy had taken affairs 
strictly into her own hands. No one except 
herself should prepare her Miss Jinny’s 
Thanksgiving dinner. The other servants 
might assist Charles in serving it, but the ac- 
tual preparation and cooking must be done by 
her own faithful hands. Consequently all the 
marketing for this occasion had been person- 
ally looked to by Mammy and Charles. In 
their chariot of state, drawn by Baltie, they 
had driven to South Riveredge, selected every 


92 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


article, and carried it home in their own bas- 
kets. Once that lordly turkey had been sci- 
entifically poked and pinched by her and met 
with approval, she was not going to let it out 
of her sight “an’ have no secon’-rater sont up 
to de house instid.” Mammy had small faith 
in Northern tradesmen. So to her cabin all 
had been sent, there to be prepared and cooked 
by her on “de fines’ range in de worl’ !” as she 
confidently believed her own to be:, and truly it 
was a wondrous feast which now stood ready 
for Charles’ serving, the two maids to dart like 
shuttles between Mammy’s cabin and the great 
house. 

It was Hadyn Stuyvesant who with grace- 
ful bow offered his arm to Mrs. Carruth, while 
Homer Forbes turned to the two girls. As 
she rose to accept Hadyn’s arm Mrs. Carruth 
paused a moment, doubt and indecision in her 
eyes, and asked: 

“Where is Jean?” 

“She left the room just a short time ago, 
mother. Shall I call her?” asked Constance. 


THANKSGIVING 


93 


“Yes, do, dear. We will wait just a mo- 
ment for you.” 

Constance left the room, to return in two 
minutes with consternation written upon her 
face. 

“Where is she and what — ?” asked Mrs. 
Carruth, resignation to any possibility de- 
scending upon her. 

“She has just come in, mother, and — and — ” 
the words ended in a laugh as Constance col- 
lapsed upon a chair. 

“What is it, Connie?” demanded Eleanor. 
“What has Jean done now?” 

“Where’s my little sister?” asked Hadyn. 
“You can’t make me believe she has broken all 
the laws of the Medes and Persians.” 

“No, not those old fogies, but, oh, dear, what 
do you suppose she has done? — invited, sans 
ceremony, Victoria Regina, Mary Stuart, and 
Adelaide Elizabeth Hodgeson to dine with 
her !” 

“Constance! Never!” cried Mrs. Carruth. 

“She has. They are up in her room this 


94 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


very minute putting the finishing touches 
to their very unique toilets.” 

“Go get ’em. Fetch ’em on. We’ll enter- 
tain ’em right royally! I know that National 
bird is a bouncer, and big enough to feed a 
dozen Hodgesons as well as all present,” was 
Hadyn’s laughing command. 

“Oh, Hadyn, we can’t,” protested Eleanor, 
whose dignity and sense of propriety were 
continually receiving slight jars from this 
friend of the household. 

“Why not? It will be the experience of 
their lives — an education by practical illustra- 
tion of manners polite. How can you hesi- 
tate, Eleanor? I thought you were a strong 
advocate of settlement work, and here you are 
overlooking an opportunity sent to your very 
door. Who was it I heard talking about ‘neg- 
lected opportunities’ not long since? A most 
edifying dissertation, if I recollect aright, too.” 

“I second the motion. Such a zest to a meal 
may never again be offered. Yes, Mrs. Car- 
ruth, you’ve got it to do. It is clearly a duty 


THANKSGIVING 


95 


brought to your door,” added Homer Forbes. 
“Moreover, it will give me a wonderful oppor- 
tunity to pursue my psychological studies. 
Didn’t know I was knee-deep in them, did you, 
Eleanor? Fact, however. Human emotions 
as the direct result of unsuspected mental sug- 
gestion, etc. Bring on your subjects, Con- 
stance.” 

“I give in. Do as you’ve a mind to, you in- 
corrigible children, only bear this in mind — 
you are not to tease those girls and make them 
miserable. Jean has made one wild break, but 
there shall be no more if I can prevent it. 
Since she has brought them here, and you will 
dine with them, so be it; but you are not to 
tease them, you madcap men,” was Mrs. Car- 
ruth’s final dictum. 

“Not a tease, not a smile out of order,” 
agreed Hadyn, though his twinkling eyes half 
belied his words. 

“You just watch us entertain ’em,” insisted 
Homer. 

“I’ll watch, you may be sure of that,” 


96 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

laughed Mrs. Carruth. “Now fly, Connie, 
and summon our unexpected guests.” 

We will pass over the oysters, which were 
disposed of as never before oysters had been, 
and the soup, which disappeared audibly. 
That dinner was a genuine Southern one, and 
no item was lacking. At length arrived the 
critical moment when the bird of national fame 
should have appeared, but — didn’t. There 
was a long, ominous delay. Charles bustled 
and fussed about, one eye upon his mistress, 
the other upon the pantry. No one noticed 
that Jean’s conversational powers, never medi- 
ocre, were now phenomenal. She talked in- 
cessantly and as rapidly as a talking machine, 
albeit her listeners seemed to offer small en- 
couragement for such a ceaseless flow of lan- 
gpiage. They sat with their eyes fastened to 
their plates — plates which would require very 
little scraping before washing. To and from 
pantry and dining room vibrated Charles. The 
vegetables, relishes, jellies — in short, every- 
thing to be served with the turkey — was placed 


THANKSGIVING 


97 


in tempting array upon the sideboard ; but still 
no sign of the festive bird itself, and Charles’ 
perturbation was increasing by the second. 
As on many another occasion it was Mammy 
who supplied the climax. At this crucial mo- 
ment she appeared in the doorway of the pan- 
try, her eyes blazing, her face a thunder- 
cloud, as she stammered: 

“Miss Jin-n-n-ninny ! M-m-iss Jinny! 
Please, ma’am, fergive me fer ’trudin’ in ’pon 
yo’ when yo’ is entertainin’ ; but ’tain’t lak dey 
was strangers, dey’s all ob de family, so to 
speak, ma’am” (Mammy was too excited to 
notice that the cheeks of two individuals 
seated at that board had turned a rosy, rosy 
pink), an’ I jes’ natchelly got to speak ma 
min’ or bus’ — ” 

“Why, Mammy, what has happened?” in- 
terrupted Mrs. Carruth, quite aware that 
Mammy managed to find mares’ nests when 
others were unable to do so, but surprised by 

this one, nevertheless. Mammv did not often 
7 


98 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


overstep the lines set by convention; but on 
this occasion she certainly seemed tottery. 

“De bird! De tuckey! It’s gone! It’s 
done been stole right out ob ma wamin oven 
yonder. I done had it all cook to a tu’n, an’ 
set up in ma oven fer ter keep it jes’ ter de 
true livin’ p’int ob sarvin’, an den I run inter 
Miss Connie’s kitchen fer ter git some ob dem 
little frilly papers I need fer its laigs, an — an’ 
it mus’ ’a’ been stole whilst I was in dar, er else 
de very debbil hisself done fly away wid it right 
from unner ma nose, kase I ain’t been outer 
dat kitchen one single minnit since — ^not one !” 
emphasized Mammy, with a wag of her tur- 
baned head, her talking machine running down 
simply because her breath had given out. 

If poor Mammy had needed anything to 
further outrage her feelings and put a climax 
to her very real distress, the roar which at 
that instant arose from two masculine throats 
would have been more than enough ; but when 
Homer Forbes turned a reproachful face 


THANKSGIVING 


99 


toward her and asked, “Mammy Blairsdale, 
do you mean to tell me that our goose — ” 

“No, sah! No, sah! de tuckey!” corrected 
Mammy instantly. 

“Well, then, our turkey is cooked — ” 

“Cooked ! Cooked ! Ef it was only de 
cookin’ dat pestered me I wouldn’t be pest- 
ered,” was Mammy’s Hibernian reply. “It’s 
done been stole, sah! Clean, cl’ar stole out 
ob ma kitchen.” 

“Let’s go find the thief, Forbes !” cried 
Hadyn, casting his napkin upon the table and 
springing to his feet. “Come on. Mammy, 
whom do you suspect? Which way shall we 
run? What must we do with him when we 
overhaul him?” 

“Oh, yo’ jes’ a-projeckin, I knows dat all 
right, but I tells you dat bird ain’ got no ekal 
in dis town. I done supervise his p’ints masef, 
an’ he’s de best to be had. If yo’ wants to 
know who I thinks is got him, I thinks it’s a 
man what done stop at ma door when I was 
a-stuffin’ dat tucky early dis mawnin’. He 


loo THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


was a tromp, an’ he ax me fer somethin’ ter 
eat. I ain’t ginnerly got no use fer tromps, 
but dis hyer was de Thanksgivin’ mawnin’, 
an’ seem lak I couldn’t turn him away hun- 
gry.” 

“We’II find him! Come on, Forbes! 
Where’s that stout walking-stick, Mrs. Car- 
ruth? Bring along the wheelbarrow for the 
remains, Charles — of the turkey, I mean.” 

Haydn was making for the door, Forbes 
hard upon his heels, when Jean darted to her 
mother’s side to draw her head toward her 
and whisper something into the listening ear. 
Jean’s guests sat like graven images. Con- 
stance and Eleanor were ready to shriek at the 
absurdity of the situation. 

“Hadyn, Homer, come back! Mammy, 
send in the quail pie and all the other good 
things you’ve prepared; we shall not starve. 
Ladies and gentlemen, circumstances render 
explanations somewhat embarrassing at this 
moment. Don’t be distressed, Mammy. On 
with the feast, Charles. 


THANKSGIVING 


lOI 


“Why? what? where? who?” were the words 
which rattled about Mrs. Carruth’s ears. 

Mammy gave one glance at Jean, who had 
returned to her seat. She had not been in 
this family sixty-eight years without arro- 
gating a few prerogatives. Then, but for 
Mrs. Carruth’s upraised hand, Etna would 
have broken forth. But Jean knew her hour 
of reckoning would come later. Her conver- 
sational powers seemed to have suffered a re- 
action. Her chair was next Hadyn’s. As he 
returned to his place he bent low, slipped his 
arm about the subdued little figure, and asked 
in a tone which it would have been hard to 
resist : 

“Little Sister, what did you do with that 
turkey?” 

“Rolled it in a big towel, put it in a basket, 
and carried it to the Hodgesons’ with mother’s 
Thanksgiving compliments, when I went after 
the girls. They wouldn’t eat a charity turkey, 
but a compliment turkey was different,” was 


102 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


whispered back in a voice suspiciously charged 
with tears. 

“I call you a trump !” Then in a lower tone 
he turned to Constance, who sat at the other 
side, and said: “Who gives himself with his 
gift, serves three.” 


CHAPTER VII. 

Expansion. 

The short Thanksgiving holiday ended, 
Eleanor returned to college and Jean to 
school, found Constance busier than ever in 
her kitchen, for the holiday season was her 
hardest time, and this year promised to be 
an exceptional one. An extra supply of 
candy must be made for the booth in the 
Arcade, as well as for those who sold her 
candies on commission in other towns. 
Then, too, an unusual number of private 
orders had already come in. These all meant 
incessant work for Constance and Mary 
Willing. 

The first week in December she entered 
the kitchen where Mary was just cutting 
into squares great masses of chocolate cara- 
mels. She had been hard at work all the 
morning, and her face was flushed from her 
exertions. 

(103) 


104 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


“Oh, I’m afraid you are nearly done up,” 
cried Constance, contritely, “You have been 
working so hard ever since eight o’clock, and 
it is now past eleven. I am so sorry to leave 
all this work to you while I do the easy part.” 

“Do you call it easy work to write about 
two dozen letters, keep track of all the orders 
which are pouring in now, and run accounts 
straight? — to say nothing of ordering our 
supplies. I don’t, and I’m thanking my 
lucky stars that I can do my share of the 
work with a big spoon instead of a pen,” 
was Mary’s cheerful reply, as she raised her 
arm to push back from her forehead an un- 
ruly lock of hair which fell across her eyes. 

“Let me,” said Constance quickly, lifting 
the soft strand into place. “You are all 
sticky, and when one’s hands are sticky that 
is the time for hair to grow rampant and 
one’s nose to itch? I’ve been there too many 
times myself not to know all about it, I tell 
you. But that isn’t what I came downstairs 
to say! Do you know that this pile of letters 


EXPANSION 


105 


has set me thinking, Mary? If things go on 
at this rate you and I can never in the world 
handle the business. Why, it has taken me 
the whole morning to look after the letters 
and acknowledge the orders which came by 
the early mail. I haven’t been able to do one 
single stroke in here, and now I have got to 
go down to South Riveredge. Charles told 
Mammy that we ought to have more space 
there for our goods, and he wished I would 
see Mr. Porter about it at once. He thinks 
we ought to rent one of the other spaces for 
the Christmas season, anyway, and have 
someone there to attend to it. What do you 
think? And do you know of someone we 
could get? You see Christmas is only three 
weeks oflf, and whatever we do we’ve got to 
do at once.” 

As Constance talked she wielded a big 
knife and helped briskly. Mary did not 
answer at once; her pretty forehead wore a 
perplexed pucker. At length she said: 

“I know a girl who could take charge of it 


io6 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


I think, although I don’t know whether 
you’d like her or not.” 

Constance smiled as she answered: “Sup- 
pose you tell me who she is, then maybe I 
can tell you whether I like her or not,” 

“It’s Kitty Sniffins. We used to go to 
school together,” 

“I don’t know her at all, so I’m a poor 
judge of her qualifications, am I not? But 
if you think she is the sort of girl we would 
like to have there, I am sure she needs no 
other recommendation, Mary. What is her 
address?” 

“Her brother is an insurance agent down 
on State Street. You might see him. They 
moved not long ago, and I don’t know where 
they live now.” 

“Oh ,” exclaimed Constance, light be^ 

ginning to dawn upon her. She had not 
heard the name Sniffins since the year in 
which she began her candy-making, as the 
result of the burning of their home, and the 
name had not figured very pleasantly in the 


EXPANSION 


107 


experience of that October, or the months 
which followed. Still, the sister might prove 
very unlike the brother, and just now time 
was precious. If she was to act upon 
Charles’ suggestion she must act immedi- 
ately. 

“I think I’ll drop her a note in care of her 
brother; I don’t like to go to his office. She 
can call here,” said Constance. 

Mary glanced up quickly to ask: 

“Is there any reason. Miss Constance, why 
you would prefer someone else?” for some- 
thing in Constance’s tone made her surmise 
that for some reason which she failed to 
comprehend Kitty Sniffins did not meet with 
her young employer’s approval. 

“If I have one it is too silly to put into 
words,” laughed Constance, “so I will not 
let it influence me. I dare say Kitty Sniffins 
is a right nice girl and will sell enough candy 
to make me open my eyes. At all events. I’ll 
have a pow-wow with her. But before she 
can sell candy or anything else she must 


io8 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


have a place to sell it in, and it’s up to me to 
scuttle off to the Arcade as fast as I can go. 
And, by the way, you’ve got to have more 
help here, Mary. Yes, you have. You need 
not shake your head. As matters are shap- 
ing I shall have to give every moment of my 
time to the business of this great and glori- 
ous enterprise. Now whom shall I get? 
What is Fanny doing this fall? She left 
school in the spring, didn’t she?” 

“Yes. She is helping mother sew, 

but ” and an eager light sprang into 

Mary’s eyes. Fanny Willing was a younger 
sister, a rather delicate girl, who was grow- 
ing more delicate from the hours spent at 
work in the close rooms of her home, and 
running a heavy, old-fashioned sewing ma- 
chine. She was a plain, quiet little thing, 
very unlike her striking-looking older sis- 
ter, and as such had not found favor in her 
mother’s eyes. In her younger days Mrs. 
Willing had boasted a certain style of beauty, 
and with it had contrived to win a husband 


EXPANSION 


109 


whom she felt would elevate her to a higher 
social plane, but her hopes had never been 
realized. Probably every family has a black 
sheep; Jim Willing had figured as that un- 
enviable figure in his. It was the old story 
of the son born after his parents had been 
married a number of years, and several older 
sisters were waiting to spoil him; plenty of 
money to fling about, a wild college career of 
two years, marriage with a pretty housemaid 
and — disinheritance. It had required only 
twenty-three years to bring it all to pass, and 
the next twenty-three completed the evil. At 
forty-six Jim Willing looked like a man of 
fifty-six — so can dissipation and moral de- 
generation set their seal upon their victims. 
Gentle blood? What had it done for him? 
Very little, because he had permitted it to 
become hopelessly contaminated. And his 
children ? — they were working out the prob- 
lem of heredity; paying the penalties of an 
earlier generation; demonstrating the com- 
mandment which says, “unto the third and 


no THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


fourth generation.” A cruel, relentless one, 
but not to be lightly broken. 

In Mary was one illustration of it; Fanny 
another. Each was to “drie her weird,” as 
the Scotch say. 

“Do you think your mother can spare 
her?” 

“I’m sure she can. The fact is, Fanny has 
been trying to get some work in one of the 
shops in South Riveredge. Sewing doesn’t 
agree with her, somehow; she seems to grow 
thinner every day; she ain’t — isn^t, I mean — 
very strong, you see.” 

“Will you send word to her, Mary? I 
think this sort of work will be better for her 
than the sewing, and we’ll talk about the salary 
when she comes over.” 

“She’ll be a mighty lucky girl just to get 
here, salary or no salary!” was Mary’s posi- 
tive reply. “If you don’t mind I’ll run down 
home this afternoon and tell her to come 
early to-morrow morning. I’ll have all this 
batch made, and the rest can wait until the 


EXPANSION 


III 


morning; we’ve got a good lot ahead 
already.” Mary’s eagerness manifested it- 
self in her every action, and Constance nod- 
ded a cheerful approval as she laid down her 
big knife and turned to leave the kitchen. 

“Go ahead, partner, but I must be off 
now.” 

“So the business is expanding?” exclaimed 
Mr. Porter, heartily, when Constance had 
explained to him her wish to rent an arch for 
her Christmas trade. “Good! I knew it 
would. Couldn’t possibly help it with such 
candy as that to back it up. But mind, you 
are not to forget my Christmas order in all 
your bustle and hurry for other people. 
Twenty pounds ” 

“What!” cried Constance, aghast at the 
recklessness of her oldest customer. 

“Now, that will do, young lady. Will you 
please answer me this ! Why must I always 
be looked upon as a mild sort of lunatic 
when I give you an order? ’Twas ever 
thus! Why, you hooted my first order, and 


1 12 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


you have kept on hooting every single one 
since. I wonder I haven’t transferred my 
patronage long since. Trouble is you realize 
where you have me cornered. You know I 
can’t duplicate those candies anywhere. 
Now come along with me and let us arrange 
for the new quarters which are to replace the 
outgrown ones, and — mark my word — this 
business will never again contract to the old 
space. This is where my business acumen 
shows itself. Once I’ve got you into the big- 
ger stand, and the rent into my coffers, I 
mean to keep you there, even if I have to get 
out and drum up the extra trade to meet the 
extra outlay. Co-operation.” 

Constance was too accustomed to this 
good friend’s nonsense to see anything but 
the deepest interest for her welfare underly- 
ing it. She knew that, with all his seeming 
badinage, he was looking further ahead than 
she, with her still limited experience, even 
after four years in her little business world, 
could look, for her’s, while exceptional for 


EXPANSION 


113 

her years and sex, could never match that of 
this man of the great, active business world. 
But if Mr. Porter was far-seeing in some 
directions, in others he was short-sighted, 
and his range of vision was to be broadened 
by one who dwelt in a far humbler walk of 
life — Mammy Blairsdale. 

Upon this particular morning Mammy 
had elected to drive in state to South River- 
edge, ostensibly to cast a critical eye over 
the Blairsdale-Devon Lunch Counter, but in 
reality to convey to it a very special dainty 
for her pet customer — Hadyn Stuyvesant. 

In addition to a few hundred other side 
issues to her business. Mammy had raised 
poultry during the previous summer, and, 
curiously enough, to every chick hatched 
out, there had pecked themselves into the 
world about four roosters, until poor 
Mammy began to believe her setting eggs 
must have had a spell cast upon them. As 
the summer advanced such an array of 

lordly, strutting, squaking young cocks never 
8 


114 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


dominated a poultry yard, and the sequel 
was inevitable. When they arrived at the 
crowing age the neighbors arose in revolt! 
Such a vociferous, discordant collection of 
birds had never fought and crowed them- 
selves into public notice. Mammy became 
almost distracted, and was at her wits’ 
ends until a diplomatic move struck her: 
those roosters should win not only fame for 
themselves, but for their owner also; and not 
long afterward first one neighbor then an- 
other was mollified and highly flattered to re- 
ceive a dainty broiled, fried, braized or roasted 
young bird, cooked as only Mammy knew 
how to cook a fowl, garnished as only 
Mammy knew how to garnish, and accom- 
panied by a respectful note, not written by 
Mammy, but by Jean, somewhat in this 
strain : 

“Will Mrs. please accept this dish 

with the most respectful compliments of 
Mammy Blairsdale, who hopes this noisy 
rooster will never disturb her any more?” 


EXPANSION 


115 

Oh, “sop to Cerberus!” Could diplomacy 
go further? 

It was one of the most vociferous of her 
flock which now lay upon his lordly back, 
his legs pathetically turned to the skies, his 
fighting and his squaking days ended for- 
ever, that reposed in Mammy’s warming 
can, to be transferred to Charles’ warming 
oven, there to await Hadyn’s arrival. 

As Constance and Mr. Porter drew near 
the lunch counter. Mammy was giving very 
explicit directions to Charles. Constance 
and Mr. Porter were too occupied to be 
aware of her presence ; not she of theirs, how- 
ever. 

Mr. Porter conducted Constance to the 
arch next but one to that in which the lunch 
counter stood, only separated from it by the 
cigar stand. 

“Now here is a space which you can have 
.as well as not, and it is close enough to 
Charles for him to cast an eye over it from 
time to time.” 


ii6 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


“And may I rent it for one month ?” asked 
Constance. 

“Better rent it for one year,” urged Mr. 
Porter. “It’s in a mightv good location.” 

“And I call it a mighty po’ location,” broke 
in an emphatic voice. “A mighty po’ one, and 
no kynd ob a place fo’ one ob ma chillen fer 
to be at. Gobblin men-folks hyar at de lunch 
Stan’; smokin’ men-folks at de nex’ one; an’ 
we kin bress Gawd ef we don’t fin’ oursefs wid 
guzzlin men-folks on yonder at de tother side 
befo’ long.” 

“Now, now ! Hold on. Mammy ! Go slow,” 
broke in Mr. Porter, laughingly. “You know 
the Arcade doesn’t stand for that sort of thing. 
Don’t hit us so hard.” 

“How I gwine know what it bown ter stan’ 
fer if it lak ter stan’ fer lettin’ dat chile rint 
a counter nex’ door to a segar stan?” snapped 
Mammy, her eyes fixed upon the luckless su- 
perintendent, personifying the strongly empha- 
sized it.” 

“Well, it’s lucky we found you here. Now, 


EXPANSION 


117 

we never took that side of the question into 
consideration, did we, little girl? Yes, I guess 
Mammy’s judgment beats ours. 

“Come on. Mammy, and let us have your 
sound advice in this choice of bigger quarters 
for Miss Constance. You see, / predict that 
she will never return to the smaller ones again.” 

“Don’t need no gre’t secon’-sight fer ter 
make dat out, I reckon,” was the superior re- 
tort, 

Mr. Porter looked crushed and then dropped 
behind Mammy, who went sailing majestically 
down the Arcade, to stop at the very first and 
most pretentious of all the Arches— one which 
had been rented until very recently by a sta- 
tioner, who had profited so handsomely that 
he had built a large shop not far from the Ar- 
cade, and now wished to sub-let this arch until 
his lease expired. Next to it was a florist’s 
stand, and opposite a stationer’s, each of a 
very high order. Constance stood aghast at 
Mammy’s audacity. 


Ii8 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


"Why, Mammy, this is the highest-priced 
arch in the Arcade,” she exclaimed, 

"Well, what dat got ter do wid it. Baby? 
Ain’t your candy de highest-priced candy? 
An’ ain’ you de very high-water mark qual- 
ity? Who gwdne ter ’spute dat? Go ’long 
an’ rint yo’ place; yo’ all matches p’intedly,” 
and with this speech Mammy stalked back to 
her own quarters. 

Constance gave one look at Mr. Porter, then 
sank upon one of the little benches within the 
arch. 

"By George, she’s right and I’m a block- 
head! Think I’d better turn over my job to 
her and go down into the engine-room until I 
learn to read human beings as she can. Yes, 
it is the finest, highest-priced arch in the build- 
ing, but it didn’t take that old black woman five 
seconds to discover the match for it. But, Mr. 
Porter,” protested Constance, "of all the ex- 
travagant steps, and for Mammy, above all 
others, to urge it. That conservative crea- 
ture! And the way she expressed it! Why, 


EXPANSION 


119 

oh, why was I born a Blairsdale? It will 
shorten my years, I know, to have to live up 
to the name,” and Constance broke into a merry 
laugh. 

“Perhaps the burden will be lifted before 
long, and such a calamity to your friends 
averted,” answered Mr. Porter, soberly, but 
with twinkling eyes. The one o’clock whistle 
had just blown in a building hard by, and the 
Arcade’s elevator was beginning to bring down 
the people from the floors above. Among them 
was Hadyn Stuyvesant, who went at once to 
the luncheon counter, quite unaware of the 
presence of a certain little lady near the en- 
trance of the Arcade ; but her back was toward 
the elevator. For one second she glanced at 
Mr. Porter entirely innocent of the purport 
of his words. Then, catching sight of the mis- 
chievous eyes twinkling at her, she rose sud- 
denly to her feet, saying: “Come at once and 
let me learn what this rash step will cost me.” 

With a low laugh Mr. Porter strode toward 
his office beside a very rosy-cheeked young girl. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


Vaulting Ambitions. 

In the course of a few days Constance’s 
new quarters in the Arcade were in opera- 
tion, for Mr. Porter lost no time in fitting up 
Arch Number One. The little booth beneath 
the stairs was dismantled to furnish forth 
the new one. Down at the kitchen Mary and 
her sister Fanny, who had come to assist in 
the work, were doing their best to keep 
abreast of the orders pouring in with each 
mail, while Mrs. Carruth, her ambitions at 
length achieved, was attending to the corre- 
spondence, since Constance’s time must for a 
little while be given to the new booth. She 
had not received a reply to her letter to Kitty 
Sniffins, and for the time being was too occu- 
pied with the demands of the new booth to 
take further steps in the matter. Indeed, she 
fl20) 


VAULTING AMBITIONS 


I2I 


had about made up her mind to look for 
someone else, once order was brought out of 
the confusion of moving and settling, for 
some indefinable instinct caused her to feel 
an aversion to engaging Kitty Sniffins. Had 
she been asked to state why, she would have 
found it difficult to put her objection into 
actual words, and more than once she re- 
proached herself for entertaining it at all. 
Nevertheless, she could not free herself from 
it, but was too busy just then to dwell upon 
it. In the course of a few days everything 
would be settled and in running order; and 
meanwhile she, herself, would go to the 
Arcade each day where, with Charles as her 
Majordomo, body-guard and faithful friend, 
she was a veritable queen of her little realm, 
and woe betide the individual so reckless as 
to forget that he or she was in the presence 
of a Blairsdale. 

The pretty Arch had been in perfect run- 
ning order for one week when Constance be- 
gan to cast about for someone to take her 


122 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


place, since neither she herself, nor her fam- 
ily felt content to have her make the journey 
to and from South Riveredge each day, or to 
spend her time at the Arch. On the previous 
Saturday she had put a carefully-worded ad- 
vertisement in the Riveredge Times, the an- 
swers to be sent to Arch No. i. Arcade 
Building; and upon her arrival at her Arch 
on this Monday morning she found dozens 
of letters from girls, and even men, asking 
employment. She was reading one of the 
letters when a shadow fell across the page, 
and raising her eyes she saw a young man 
standing at the counter. Thinking he had 
come to purchase a box of candy, she rose 
from her chair and stood waiting for him to 
make his wants known to her. Instead of 
doing so, he raised his hat, and with a most 
impressive bend of his long, loosely-hung 
figure, and a smile which initiated her by its 
self-complacency, said: 

“How are you. Miss Carruth? You’re 
sure putting up a big show here, ain’t you?” 


VAULTING AMBITIONS 


123 


“What can I do for you?” asked Con- 
stance, with quiet dignity. 

“Guess you can’t do nothing for me, but 
maybe I can do something for you. Candy 
ain’t in my line. Never spent none o’ my 
solid cash for the stuff, but I’m glad other 
people do; plenty of fools in this world to 
help wise folks get rich, ain’t there?” 

“Will you please state your business?” and 
Constance took up another letter as a hint 
to her unwelcome visitor that her time, if not 
his, was of some value. 

“Got a pile o’ answers, ain’t you? That’s 
just what I thought, and it’s just what 
brought me down here this early. This let- 
ter come for Kitty in my care ’most a week 
ago, but she’s down in the city doin’ some- 
thin’ or ’nother ; don’t ’mount to much, I 
guess, though. I knew she hadn’t no friends 
up yonder in swell Riveredge, and when I 
saw your ad. in the Riveredge Times it didn’t 
take me no time to put two and two together. 
Oh, I’m fly, I am ! I knowed — knew — the 


124 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


postmark meant something about that candy 
kitchen, ’cause Mary Willing and Kit used to 
be school pals, and I guessed you was 
a-lookin’ for more help, and I don’t often 
guess wrong, neither. I sent a telegraph to 
Kit to come on home this mornin’ to see you, 
but I weren’t goin’ to take any chances, so 
I come right up to clench the job for her.” 

“Then I assume that you are Miss Sniffins’ 
brother. May I ask why you felt so sure 
that the letter sent to your care was from me, 
or had anything to do with my need of more 
help in this business?” 

The smile and wink which prefaced his re- 
ply nearly proved the last straw. Quietly 
reaching below the counter, Constance 
pressed an electric button. She had been 
wise beyond her years when she had this 
connection made between her Arch and 
Charles’ counter. Sniffins did not notice the 
motion. 

“Well, you see, I’m boss in my own house 
and run the wimmin-folks. When I suspic- 


VAULTING AMBITIONS 


125 


ioned what the letter was, I just took French 
leave, so to speak, and opened and read 
it ” 

“What!” The indignation in Constance’s 
tone was a trifle disconcerting even to the 
thick-skinned Snifflns, and he had the grace 
to color slightly. But it was only momen- 
tary. He rarely forgot Sniffins. 

“Oh, that’s all O. K. All in the family, you 
see. Kit won’t dare kick ; she ain’t the kickin’ 
kind — not with me, anyhow. She knows too 
well which side her bread’s buttered to kick, 
Fm the head of things down yonder in our 
house, and as long as I can earn the pile and 
put up the cash for ’em Ma and Kit can toe 
the mark. But I don’t see no reason why 
they shouldn’t add some to the pile. We 
ain’t, so-to-speak, rich yet, but we ain’t poor; 
oh, no-siree, we ain’t poor. That savings 
bank next door knows we ain’t poor no more, 
and it knows we’re goin’ to be ” 

“Yes, Charles, I need you,” interrupted 
Constance, for unobserved by her visitor old 


126 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


Charles had drawn near, and now stood just 
behind Sniffins, and had heard a good portion 
of his senseless boasting. 

“Yas, Mist’ess, I’s right hyer fer ter sarve 
yo’.” 

Sniffins turned quickly. 

“Hello, old stager, where did you come 
from?” 

Charles paid no more attention to him 
than he would have paid to a stray dog — not 
as much. 

“Will you please remain at the counter a 
few moments, Charles. “When your sister 
returns she may call here to see me, Mr. 
Sniffins. Good-morning.” And without an- 
other glance at the man Constance walked 
quickly away from the counter, and down to 
the ’phone booth, where she called a number. 
Sniffins’ eyes followed her. When she disap- 
peared he turned to Charles and, with an un- 
pleasant sneer, remarked: “Workin’ for her 
livin’ an’ tryin’ ter play the big-bug, too, 
ain’t she ?” 


VAULTING AMBITIONS 


127 


“Does yo’ wish fer ter purchase some of 
dis hyer candy, sah?” asked Charles, icily. 

“No, I don’t, an’ if I did I ain’t takin’ it 
from niggers.” 

“No, sah, I don’ reckon yo’ is, kase — 
Mor’in’, Massa Po’tah, I’se right glad fer ter 
see a gemmen, sah. Dey’s mighty skurse 
sometimes. How kin I sarve yo’, sah ?” 

“Morning, Charles. Where is my little 
girl this morning? Gone to the telephone 
booth? Be back pretty quick, won’t she? I 
want to speak to her a moment.” 

“She’ll return, sah, when de air’s better 
fer her ter breve; it got sort o’ foul-like, an’ 
if you’se no objections I’se gwine raise de 
winder jist a trifle.” 

“Do, by all means. Must keep the air pure 
and sweet for that little lady.” 

“Yas, sir: Yas, sir: Dat’s percis’ly what 
I’s amin’ ter do. Dafs why I’se always on 
han’.” 

“Good! We’ll watch out for her, won’t 
we? Hello, Sniffins. How about that big 


128 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


deal you were going to put through for me? 
I haven’t heard much about it lately.” 

“Oh, you’ll hear from that all right, all 
right. Trouble is you expect a man to do in 
two weeks somethin’ most men needs two 
months to do.” 

“Well if you take two months to settle that 
matter for me, the other fellow, who can do 
it in two weeks, will win out, you mark my 
word. So you’d better not take time to buy 
candy at ten A. M. on Monday mornings,” 
for in some way Mr. Porter had gathered 
from Charles the true situation, and had 
given this broad hint. Snithns was not given 
to taking hints, but he dared not go counter 
to Mr. Porter’s implied wish that he leave 
the Candy Arch. Still, he was bound to have 
his last shot, and, with what he intended to 
be a telling glance, he said : 

“You tell Miss Carruth that my sister will 
take that position, and I’ll call ’round later to 
arrange about her salary.” 

“It will not be necessary for you to do so. 


VAULTING AMBITIONS 


129 


Mr. Sniffins; I have just 'phoned to someone 
else.” Constance had returned so quietly 
that no one was aware of her approach. 

“How do you do, Mr. Porter? I am glad 
to see you. What can I do for you? Come 
into my sanctum.” 

She led the way to the rear of the Arch, 
where a little inclosure held her desk and two 
chairs. Sniffins turned to leave the Arch. 
At the entrance he came face to face with 
Hadyn Stuyvesant. The look which accom- 
panied the nod Sniffins gave him was not 
pleasant. Hadyn did not know him at all, 
and looked at him in surprise, believing him 
to have mistaken him for someone else. But 
Sniffins knew Hadyn. 

“So he’s on there, too, is he? Guess he can 
see through a millstone most as far as other 
folks can. If that girl keeps on she’s goin’ 
to be rich, rich. That business has growed — 
ah, grown — like a — a — ^well, it’s grown. ’For’ 
long she’s goin’ to have a big thing in it. 

Wake up, Sniffins, my bov. You’re got as 
9 


130 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


good a chance as any other fellow, an’ you’re 
no slouch on looks, neither. Get busy and 
spruce up more’n ever. Buy some new 
clothes, old man ; you’ll find ’em a good invest- 
ment, I tell you. Get Kit down there some- 
how; that’s your best wedge for getting into 
the swell set up yonder. Kit’s half-way 
good-lookin’, and ain’t got the spunk of a 
mouse to do any way except the way I tell 
her.” 

By the time this monologue came to an 
end Sniffins had turned into his office on 
State Street, and there found his sister 
awaiting him. She had returned to South 
Riveredge nearly frightened to death by his 
telegram. 

“Ah, cut it out ! What’s the use whooping 
things up for nothing?” was his short order- 
ing. “Nobody’s dead nor dyin’, but I want 
you to get down to the Arcade and get this ^ 
job, see? Don’t come back here whinin’ that 
you can’t. You’re got to get it, or you can 
dust out o’ South Riveredge an’ your happy 


VAULTING AMBITIONS 


131 

home. Now listen to what I’m tellin’ you: 
Don’t you let on zvho you are. If you do the 
jig’s up, for that high and mighty sprig 
down there ain’t got no sort o’ use for me. 
But I’ll tame her. I ain’t seen the girl yet I 
couldn’t tame. But I want you there ’cause 
I want to keep track of the revenue, do you 
see? and if your head’s worth half a mutton- 
head you can’t help gettin’ a good idea of 
what that business is worth, and that’s what 
I mean to know. She don’t know you from 
a hole in the ground, and you ain’t goin’ to 
let her ” 

“But she will know my name, Lige.” 

“How will she know your name if you 
don’t tell her your name? You’ve got a mid- 
dle name, ain’t you? Well, what’s the mat- 
ter -with that? Katherine Boggs is all right, 
ain’t it? You haven’t got to tack on the 
Sniffins.” 

“Oh, I’d forget, and people would know 
me, and I’d be scared to death to do it, Lige.” 

“Now see here: You’ll be scared to death 


132 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

if you don’t just let me tell you, for I’ll scare 
you myself. Now get down there and do 
the job right up to the mark.” 

About half an hour later a sweet-faced, 
timid girl presented herself at Constance’s 
Arch. She seemed unduly agitated, and her 
hands trembled as she rested them on the 
counter, to ask if Miss Carruth was to be 
seen. 

“I think she can be,” answered Constance, 
smiling encouragingly at the perturbed little 
figure before her, for Constance was too 
much her mother’s child not to feel the deep- 
est sympathy for such a one. 

“Is she in ?” ventured her visitor. 

“I am Miss Carruth. What can I do for 
you?” 

“Oh ! Why, you want a girl, a clerk ?” 

“I do. Come into my little office ; no one will 
interrupt us there. Sit down; you seem tired. 
Now tell me all about it. I’ve had such a pile 
of letters that I hardly know which to an- 
swer. By the way, I have just ’phoned to 


VAULTING AMBITIONS 


133 


one who gave me her number but not her 
name, I asked her to call at once. I wonder 
if you can be No. 795?” Constance paused 
with a most encouraging smile upon her lips 
and light in her eyes. 

“Yes — oh — no; I mean ” 

“Why are you so nervous? It will not be 
a very difficult undertaking, I’m sure, just 
to sit here and sell boxes of candy, and I’m 
not half as formidable a young woman as 
you must have pictured me. The hours are 
not so very long, and there will be a good 
many spare moments. The salary is seven 
dollars a week. Do you care to consider it. 
Miss ?” 

“S — Boggs, I mean Miss Boggs, Yes, I’ll 
take it, I want it very much. I’ll try to please 


Constance looked at the girl. What ailed 
her? Why this feverish eagerness to secure 
the position, and why a degree of nervous- 
ness which almost amounted to a panic? 

“Will you please give me your address? 


134 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


And” — Constance hesitated. She was upon 
the point of asking for references, but sym- 
pathy for the girl withheld her from doing 
so. 

The girl gave an address in a distant part 
of the town, and rose to go. Constance’s 
look held her. There was nothing alarming 
in the quiet gaze of those deep brown eyes; 
on the contrary, it was soothing, if com- 
pelling. 

“Do you mind telling me why you are so 
agitated ? I can see no cause for it, yet there 
may be one which I do not guess, and if I 
can help remove it I shall be glad to do so. 
It troubles me to see you disturbed. Per- 
haps a good deal depends upon your secur- 
ing a situation at once, and if that is the 
cause of your trouble we have removed it, 
haven’t we? for you are already engaged.” 

“Oh, yes, I know I’m very foolish; I do 
want the situation ; I’ve got to take it ; I’ll do 
my very, very best; I truly will. Please ex- 
cuse me. When must I come?” 


VAULTING AMBITIONS 


135 


“Can you come this afternoon ? I am 
very anxious to get back to my duties 
in my candy kitchen, and if you can ar- 
range to come here after luncheon, I 
shall have time to show you the little things 
you would like to learn, and to-mor- 
row morning you can get along without 
me.” 

“Yes, I’ll come. I’ll be here at two 
o’clock, and I’ll try so hard to please you. 
Miss Carruth.” For a moment a smile 
lighted up the girl’s face and quite trans- 
formed it. 

She was a plain, colorless little thing, but 
something in her smile made her very at- 
tractive. 

“I shall be here. Good-bye for a couple 
of hours.” 

The girl hurried away. 

“ Well, if she isn’t one of the oddest 
little creatures I’ve ever come across. I 
am sure I don’t know what impelled me 
to engage her, for I dare say I could 


136 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


have found a dozen others much better 
qualified to attend to things here, but — 
somehow — well, I dare say, there’s a lot 
of mother in me, and when our sympa- 
thies are aroused we sometimes do queer 
things.” 

Constance was not conscious of having 
spoken aloud, as she moved about the Arch 
arranging and giving a touch here and there, 
until a laughing voice asked: 

“What is this I’m listening to? A budding 
elocutionist practicing her monologue?” 

“Does sound a little like it, doesn’t it ? 
but it’s nothing half so brilliant. In 
fact, you might suspect me of bordering 
on mental aberration instead if I told 
you, so I reckon I won’t. But I am 
starved even if you are not. Let us go 
see what Blairsdale and Devon have to offer 
to-day.” 

A moment later Constance and Hadyn 
Stuyvesant were seated in the little screened- 
off corner back of Charles’ counter, his 


VAULTING AMBITIONS 


137 


duties transferred to his satellite, as he laid 
before his young mistress, and the one whom 
in his faithful old heart he had long cher- 
ished a wish to call his “Young Massa,” the 
dainties especially prepared for them by 
Mammy. 


CHAPTER IX. 

At Merry Yuletide. 

“Hurry, Eleanor. We are all waiting for 
you,” called Constance from the terrace, 
where a group of young people stood wait- 
ing for the tardy one. 

It was the day following Christmas, and 
such a day as long dwells in one’s memory 
of perfect winter days; scarcely a cloud in 
the sky, and the air filled with a crispness 
which set one’s blood a-tingle. The world 
wore her white robes of the season, bedecked 
with a thousand sparkling jewels. The river 
was frozen nearly across, and on its glisten- 
ing surface groups of skaters darted about, 
or pushed ice-chairs, in which were seated 
older or less vigorous bodies for whom skat- 
ing was not. 

Early in December, when the weather had 
turned unusually cold for the season, the 

(138) 


AT MERRY YULETIDE 


139 


river had commenced to freeze over. It had 
been thirty years since such heavy ice had 
formed, and those who recalled that time 
predicted that the present cold snap would 
hold as that one had held, and the New Year 
find, as it had then found, the sleighs cross- 
ing to the opposite shore. 

Eleanor Carruth had returned from col- 
lege three days before Christmas, to find 
everyone in the liveliest, gayest mood, and 
each moment crowded to its very limit with 
duties or pleasures. Christmas in Mrs. Car- 
ruth’s home had always been a day of “good 
will toward man” in its truest, sweetest 
sense. No one had time to think of self in 
her desire to think of others. For more than 
sixty years Mammy’s voice had been the first 
one to cry “Christmas gif’ ” to her children, 
as she went from bed to bed in the chill 
Christmas dawn. Try as they might in by- 
gone years, none of the other servants on the 
old plantation had been able to creep up to 
the bedchambers before her, and now in the 


140 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


newer life of the Northern world, to which 
she had followed those she loved, she had 
never missed her greeting. In the dark, diffi- 
cult days when resources were limited and 
every penny had to be so carefully expended, 
the Christmas gifts had been very simple 
little remembrances interchanged, but old 
Mammy had invariably managed to have 
some trifle for her “chillen,” and they would 
sooner have gone without their own than 
have failed to have their token of the season 
lying at her door on Christmas morning. 

But happier days had now dawned for all, 
and the Christmas day just passed had been 
a red-letter one for the family. True, Elea- 
nor’s resources were not yet equal to Con- 
stance’s. Eleanor’s spending money was de- 
rived from the source which, prior to her en- 
trance in college, had caused Mammy such 
deep concern. Eleanor still coached a num- 
ber of the less brilliant lights of the college. 
In this way she felt more independent of her 
aunt and less dependent upon Constance. 


AT MERRY YULETIDE 141 

Constance protested and scolded, declar- 
ing that it was perfect nonsense for Eleanor 
to so burden herself, since the candy kitchen 
was more equal to the demands made upon 
it. But Eleanor was a Carruth. 

As the party stood waiting for her, Jean, 
keeping fast hold of Haydn’s hand and jigging 
up and down in her impatience to be off, Forbes 
talking to one of Eleanor’s friends, and the 
others all chatting at once, Eleanor came hur- 
rying from the house, carrying in her hand a 
pair of shining skates, and carefully tucked 
under her arm a broom. 

Haydn was the first to spy it. His eyes be- 
gan to twinkle, and he quickly slipped over to 
Constance’s side. 

“Is this a very mid-winter madness ?” he 
asked under his breath. 

Constance glanced Up quickly. Her eyes in- 
stantly caught the twinkle, and darted toward 
Forbes, who was too deeply engaged in trying 
to prove to his rather skeptical listener that 
the soft little wraith-like clouds beginning to 


142 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


-gather overhead meant wind, and perhaps 
more snow also, within twenty-four hours, to 
be aware of Eleanor’s unusual departure in the 
line of impedimenta. Neither Constance nor 
Hadyn intended to spoil the joke by jogging 
their wits, and the others who were alive to the 
fun preferred to see it to the end, 

Eleanor hurried up to Forbes and said, as 
though to confirm his argument: 

“Yes, it is clouding over, isn’t it? Mammy 
insists it is going to snow, and urged me to 
carry this umbrella. I can always trust Mam- 
my’s “bones,” she ended as she held forth the 
broom to the bewildered man, who looked from 
her face to it as though questioning her sanity. 

Then Eleanor wakened. 

“Oh, why — I thought — why, how did I get 
this?” 

“Let me relieve you of your strange burden, 
Eleanor. Still want an umbrella? I’ll fetch 
one if you say so, but you may find the broom 
more useful, on second thought. Let’s take 
it along to clear away the light show which fell 


AT MERRY YULETIDE 


143 


last night. Come on, people! If we expect 
to get up an appetite for Mammy’s luncheon 
at two o’clock, we’d best make a move toward 
the river,” cried Hadyn, leading the way with 
the broom shouldered like a musket, and Jean 
in full prance beside him. 

It was a merry party which gathered upon 
the crystal surface of the river that morning. 
For many days Jack Frost had been busy, and 
had done his wonderful work most effectively, 
completing it during the previous night by a 
light coating of diamond-dust, which glistened 
and sparkled in the clear sunshine, or swirled 
up in fantastic spirals as the skaters whirled 
away through it. The boathouse at the river’s 
edge served as a shelter for the chilled ones,, 
and, far-sighted woman! Mammy had sent 
Charles down there with a great basket of sand- 
wiches, and a heaterful of steaming chocolate. 
Somehow nature had made a big mistake 
when she fashioned Mammy: she should have 
formed a man, a white man, and cast his lot 
among the great commerical lights of his day. 


144 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


The chocolate heater had to be replenished 
more than once, and the manner in which the 
sandwiches vanished was almost miraculous. 

Eleanor, Constance and Jean were as much 
at home upon their skates as upon the soles of 
their feet, and Hadyn had skated ever since 
he could move without assistance; but Forbes 
had acquired the art during a winter spent in 
Northern Europe, and at a date not so remote 
as to have lessened the novelty of the experi- 
ence. He had brought with him from Holland 
a pair of skates of truly remarkable design, 
and it was upon these “ice boats,’’ as Hadyn 
instantly dubbed them, that he was now dem- 
onstrating the extraordinary agility of the 
Dutch skaters. 

“Stand off! Make way!” cried Hadyn, as 
Forbes, one arm about Eleanor’s waist and the 
other holding her hand aloft in what he fondly 
believed to be a perfect imitation of the Dutch 
peasants’ graceful poise and motion, bore down 
upon the party, his long, upturned skates and 
still longer legs causing Eleanor to cast skittish 


AT MERRY YULETIDE 


1 45 


glances in their direction as she swung along 
beside him. 

“Great! How do you do it, old man?” 
asked Hadyn as Eleanor was almost hurled 
into his arms, Forbes’ momentum carrying him 
on and past them like a runaway motor-car. 

“Simplest thing in the world! Be back in 
a second to show you how. Nothing like it! 
Absolutely — ” but he was carried beyond his 
hearers, whose eyes followed his wild evolu- 
tions with more or less apprehension for “what 
next?” since it seemed contrary to all laws of 
gravitation for any human being to maintain 
his equilibrium very long if he took such 
chances. 

“He has turned ! He’s coming back ! Now 
watch out, Hadyn, and learn how it’s done,” 
laughed Constance, as this skated “Ichabod 
Crane” bore down upon them, hair blown on 
end, arms flying, legs cutting capers legs never 
before had cut, and upon his face the expres- 
sion of “do or die, man, for she is watching 
you.” 

lO 


146 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

“Gee, what a swathe he cuts!” cried another 
man, as the light snow lying upon the ice flew 
from beneath the rushing skates. 

“Now watch out! Clear the track! Look 
sharp, and you’ll all catch the knack of it with- 
out half trying. Nothing easier,” shouted the 
skater as he drew nearer, pride in his eyes, 
glory descending upon him. But alack! it’s 
said ‘a haughty spirit goeth before a fall.’ 
There may have been an ice fissure. Forbes 
insisted there was one in which he caught his 
skate; but there certainly was the fall both ac- 
tual and figurative. As the enthusiast came 
within ten feet of his spellbound audience, a 
pair of very long legs came up, and a very 
loosely-hung body came down with despatch. 
The legs flew apart until the figure resembled 
an ice-boat under full headway, nor did its 
momentum perceptibly lessen as it sped past 
its audience, the light snow piling up in front 
of it and flying over its shoulders as it flies 
back from a snow-plow. For fully thirty feet 
the wild figure slid along before it lost its im- 


AT MERRY YULETIDE 


147 


petus. Then it came to a dazed stop. Only- 
one of the audience was prepared to go to its 
aid ; the others were entirely helpless, and were 
hanging upon each other’s necks — let us hope 
in tears of sympathy. 

“Can — can I help you?” stammered Hadyn, 
as he bent over to raise the prone one. “You — 
you rather came down a cropper that time, and 
—and—” 

“Get behind me, for heaven’s sake. Do you 
think a man can slither along on the ice for 
thirty feet and — and not damage his gar- 
ments? Quick, before all those people get 
wise. Is your long cape in the boathouse? 
Yes? Thanks, I’ll take it, and I don’t care a 
hang if you freeze;’’ and scrambling to his 
feet Forbes sped for the boathouse, and the 
world saw him not again that day. 

Scarcely had Forbes left the party on the 
pond when a new member was added to it, or, 
at least, arrived upon the scene with a very 
' firmly fixed intention of being added to it if he 
could contrive to be. 


148 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

He was arrayed, from his standpoint of a 
proper toilet for the occasion, in a costume 
altogether irresistible, and which it had cost 
him no little time and outlay to procure. 

Heavy tan shoes, a plaided Scotch tweed 
suit, a sweater of gorgeous red, and a sealskin 
cap. 

With many a curve and flourish, for the 
man could skate, he came up to the group, and 
with a most impressive bow to Constance, 
raised the fur cap, and, standing uncovered, 
said : 

“Good-morning, Miss Carruth. Fine sport, 
ain’t it ? May I compliment you on your skat- 
ing? You ain’t got a rival on the ice, nor off 
it, neither.” 

For a moment Constance was at a loss to 
place the man, then she recalled his visit to her 
Candy Arch about three weeks before. It was 
Elijah Sniffins. 

The very audacity of this move deprived 
lier of speech for a moment, and the others 
with her were too amazed to come to her res- 


AT MERRY YULETIDE 


149 


cue. Indeed, they did not know the man at 
all, and, consequently, did not realize the ex- 
tent of his presumption. 

Then Constance came to herself. Looking 
straight into the man’s eyes, her own ominous 
with indignation, and her cheeks flushing with 
resentment, she replied: 

“Haven’t you made a slight mistake, Mr, 
Sniffins? I believe the business matter upon 
which you called at the Arcade was settled 
then and there, for I had already made other 
arrangements. I hardly think there is any- 
thing more to be discussed.” 

“Oh, that’s all in the sweet bygones. You 
needn’t think I’ve got to talk business every 
time we meet any mor’n you have; I just give 
myself a holiday once in so often just like you 
do, and this is one of ’em. Great day for a 
holiday. But, by the way, did you get a nice 
girl for your counter? — one that’s goin’ to 
have some snap to her and do a rushin’ busi- 
ness with all the young folks anxious to get 
rid of their money?” 


150 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

“She is quite satisfactory, thank you, and 
good-morning, Mr. Sniffins.” 

“Oh, I say, won’t you give me just one turn? 
Never see anyone could skate like you — ” 

“Hadyn, isn’t it about time we went home? 
Just one more spin, please,” and turning toward 
Hadyn Stuyvesant Constance held out both 
hands toward him. He had turned to speak 
to another member of the party, and until that 
moment had not been aware of Sniffins’ intru- 
sion. At sight of Constance’s face his own 
changed, and he gave a quick glance at the 
man, who seemed undecided as to whether it 
would be wiser to accept his dismissal or per- 
sist in his unwelcome attentions. It may have 
been something in Hadyn’s glance which de- 
terred him, for with another impressive bow 
he skated rapidly away, muttering: 

“Little snob! Thinks she’s out of sight; 
but she ain’t any better’n others who are mak- 
in’ their pile, and I’ll learn her yet.” 

“Who is he? What is the matter, little 


AT MERRY YULETIDE 


151 

girl?” asked Hadyn, as he and Constance 
swung away over the ice. 

“Why, it’s that odious man. I don’t know 
what to make of him. This is the second time 
he has forced himself upon me, and why he 
does so is more than I can fathom. He is the 
Fire Insurance Agent down in State Street; 
and the only time we have ever had any inter- 
course whatsoever with him was when the 
house burned down. But I never saw him 
even then. Mother or Mammy were the only 
ones who had any dealings with him at that 
time, though once later, when the Candy Booth 
in the Arcade caught fire, he did speak to me, 
now I remember, though I had quite forgotten 
it. What in this world can the man want? I 
declare he half frightens me, he is so auda- 
cious.” 

She then told Hadyn of Sniffins’ visit at the 
Arcade. He listened attentively, seeing far 
more in it than the girl beside him guessed, but 
taking care not to let her know. 

“And you did not engage his sister, after 
all?” he inquired. 


152 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


“No; I have a Katherine Boggs doing duty 
there. She’s a quiet, nice little thing, and not 
likely to do the ‘rushin’ business with all the 
young fools,’ which this idiot seems to think a 
requisite qualification. Ugh! How I loathe 
the very sight of that man ! It’s mighty lucky 
I did not engage his sister, isn’t it? He would 
have used her as a wedge to force his presence 
upon me, though why on earth he wishes to is 
more than I can understand.” 

The face she turned up to Hadyn’s was the 
very personification of sweetness and modesty. 

He looked at her, a slight color creeping into 
his own and a light filling his eyes, which for 
the first time since she had known him sent an 
odd little thrill to the girl’s heart, which caused 
it to beat a trifle quicker, and her eyes to fall 
before his. It was all over in a moment, and 
all he said was : 

“Keep your modesty, little girl. It is a val- 
uable asset to womanhood. And now we must 
get back home, or the little Mother and Mam- 
my will get after us.” 


CHAPTER X. 

“Then Came the Wild Weather” 

January and February, blustery, wild 
months, crept slowly away, and March, still 
more blustery, came in. The cold and damp- 
ness told upon poor old Charles, and more than 
one day found him a fast prisoner in the 
“baid,” which, in spite of Mammy’s conviction 
“dat it fair hit de sore spots,” frequently failed 
to find Charles’, and only served to smother his 
groans. Then one day, when, in spite of his 
spouse’s protests, he insisted upon going to the 
Arcade in a driving snowstorm, the climax 
was reached, and when Charles reached his 
little cabin at nightfall he was “cl’ar beat out 
an’ ready fer ter drap,” as Mammy told Mrs. 
Carruth. The next day he was downright ill, 
and a physician had to be summoned. 

“Seem lak, seem lak de very ol’ boy hisself 
done got inter dat man,” scolded Mammy, her 
wrath the outcome of nervous irritation, for 

(153). 


154 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


Charles was the pride and the love of her life. 
“No matter how I is ter argify wid him, he 
just natcherly boun’ ter go ’long ter dat Arcyde 
yistiddy, an’ now see what done come of it! 
Gawd bress ma soul, I reckons I’d smack him 
good ef he warn’t lyin’ dar groanin’ so wid his 
misery dat he lak ’nough wouldn’t feel de smacks 
I give him. Tch! tch!” and Mammy shook her 
head ominously. 

“Poor Charles! I’ll go right out to the cabin. 
Mammy, and sit with him while you look after 
your cooking; it’s too bad, too bad; but I think 
he will soon be about again.” 

“Yes, an’ ef yo’ goes out in dis hyar bliz- 
zardy weather I’ll have two sick folks on my 
han’s ’stid o’ one. Now, see here, Miss Jinny, 
yo’ min’ me an’ stay indoors! Yo’ hear me?” 

“Nonsense, Mammy. Do you think I shall 
take cold by walking from here to your cabin? 
How foolish,” protested Mrs. Carruth. “Your 
luncheon counter cannot be neglected, and with 
but one pair of hands how can you do your 
cooking and nurse Charles, too?” 


THEN CAME WILD WEATHER 155 


As she spoke Mrs. Carruth tied a scarf over 
her head and wrapped a long, heavy cloak about 
her, Mammy never for a second ceasing to pro- 
test. 

“Now come. Mammy,” she said, leading the 
way to the back door. Mammy following and 
scolding every step of the way. As they 
opened the door leading to the back porch they 
were assailed by a gust of wind and a whirl 
of snow which blinded them, and at the same 
time nearly carried them off their feet. 

“Mighty man! Go ’long back. Miss Jinny! 
Go back! Dis hyar ain’t no fittin’ place fer 
yo’, I tells yo’,” gasped Mammy, turning to bar 
Mrs. Carruth’s progress, for even Mammy’s 
weight was as a straw against the gale which 
swept around the corner of the porch. But 
slight as she was, Mrs. Carruth was not to be 
overborne. For a moment she laid hold of the 
porch railing to steady herself, then with a 
firm hold upon her flapping cloak braced her- 
self against the wind, and started for the cot- 
tage. Mammy was for once silenced, simply 


156 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

because the words were swept from her lips as 
soon as she tried to form them. 

Earlier in the morning an attempt had been 
made to clear a path to the cottage ; but in such 
a wild, howling blizzard a half hour was more 
than enough to set man’s work at naught, and 
Mrs. Carruth and Mammy had to flounder 
through the snowdrifts as best they could, and 
were breathless when they reached the bottom 
of the garden. 

“Fo’ Gawd’s sake, come unner de lee ob de 
house ’fore yo’ is blown daid unner ma eyes, 
honey,” panted Mammy. “Oh, why for is we 
ever come ter sech a place fer ter live! We 
all gwine be froz daid ’fore we kin draw our 
brefs. Come in de house. Miss Jinny, come 
in,” and, half dragging, half carrying her mis- 
tress, Mammy led her into the cabin where the 
little darkey. Mammy’s handmaiden, stood with 
her eyes nearly popping out of her head with 
fright, for she had been watching them from 
the safe shelter of the kitchen. 

Mrs. Carruth dropped upon a chair well-nigh 


THEN CAME WILD WEATHER 157 


exliausted, for even though the cabin was 
barely two hundred feet from the house, it 
had required all the strength she could summon 
to battle her way to it in the force and smother 
of the blizzard. 

“Why — why, I’d no idea it was so terrible,” 
she panted. “I’ve never known such a storm.” 

“Ain’t I tell yo’ so? Ain’t I tell yo’ not 
ter come out in it? An’ how I is ter git yo’ 
back ter de house is mo’n I kin tell,” deplored 
Mammy, as she hastily divested herself of her 
own wrappings and then turned to remove her 
mistress’. 

“Yo’ foots is soppin’, s')akin’ wet. Yo’ 
mought as well not ’a’ had no rubbers on ’em, 
fer yo’ is wet ter de knees. Hyer, you no 
’count Mirandy, get me some hot water, an’ 
den hike upstairs fo’ de bottle ob alcohol, yo’ 
hyer me!” stormed Mammy, relieved to find 
someone to vent her irritation upon. “An’ yo’ 
ain’t gwine back ter dat house whilst dis storm 
is ragin’, let me tell yo’. ” 

“I am all right. Mammy; this is mere folly. 


158 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


I shall be as dry as a bone in just a few minutes,” 
protested Mrs. Carruth. 

“Yis! Yis! An’ lak enough chilled to de 
bone, too. Now, yo’ min’ what I tells you,” 
and, in spite of their protests, Mrs. Carruth was 
presently rubbed and warmed into dry gar- 
ments and comfort. It was well Constance’s 
Candy Kitchen communicated with Mammy’s 
quarters, and that a supply of clothing was al- 
ways kept in it. It was deserted this morning, 
for Mary and Fanny had gone home on the 
previous Saturday afternoon, and the storm 
had made it impossible for them to return. A 
large supply of candy had been sent to the Arcade 
on Saturday morning; so even if customers 
were courageous enough to face the blizzard 
in quest of sweets there would be no lack of 
of sweets to please the sweet tooth, and Con- 
stance was glad of the respite the storm gave 
her, for, like many another busy little business 
woman, she found many things to attend to in 
the house when she could steal the time from 
her regular duties. 


THEN CAME WILD WEATHER 159 


This morning she was busy with a dozen 
little odd bits of work, while Jean, school im- 
possible in such weather, was lost to all the outer 
world in a new book. 

When Mrs. Carruth was made comforta- 
ble she went upstairs to Charles. She found 
him in a sorry plight, and saw at once that poor 
old Charles was in a more serious condition 
than Mammy realized, troubled as she was 
about him; but this was carefully concealed 
from the old woman. 

“We have both to take our scolding now,” 
she said as she seated herself near him. 
“Mammy will never forgive either of us for 
disobeying her, Charles. But what can I do 
for you ?” 

Charles was too stiff and full of pain to 
move, but he tried to smile bravely as he an- 
swered : 

“Reckons we’d better a-minded her. Honey. 
Reckons we had. She’s a mighty pert ’oman, 
she is, an’ when she say do, we better do, an’ 
when she say don’t, we better donH, dat’s suah. 


i6o THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


An’ jes’ look at me ! Hyar I layin’ lak I tied 
ban’ an’ foot, an’ de bis’ness down yonder 
gfwine ter rack an’ ruin, lak ’nough, wid dat no 
’count boy a-runnin’ it. And Charles groaned 
in tribulation of spirit. 

“Wait a moment; I’ll see that all goes well 
down there,” answered Mrs. Carruth, sooth- 
ingly, and slipping away from the room she 
went into the deserted Bee-hive to ’phone to 
the Arcade. After considerable delay she got 
Mr. Porter and told him the situation. He 
was all interest, and begged her to tell Charles 
that if necessary he himself would mount g^ard 
over the luncheon counter. She next called 
Hadyn, and asked him to let her know how all 
went at the candy booth. He assured her that 
all was well, but that business did not seem to 
be flourishing. 

“Will you please tell Miss Boggs to close it 
for the day and to go home at once, Hadyn? 
The storm grows worse every moment, I be- 
lieve, and if she remains there any longer she 
may not be able to get home.” 


THEN CAME WILD WEATHER i6i 


“I’ll tell her, and I’ll see that she gets home, 
too. Don’t worry, little mother. I’ll be down 
a little later to see how you all fare.” 

“Oh, no ! No ! Don’t try to come. We ar-e 
all right, and you must not try to drive here 
in this awful storm. Promise me that you 
won’t, Hadyn.” 

“Can’t make rash promises, and Comet has 
breasted even worse storms than this,” was the 
laughing answer. “Who is looking after your 
furnace, now that Charles is down and out?” 

“Mr. Henry’s man. He was here this morn- 
ing, and will be back this evening. We lack 
nothing, and we don’t want you under any 
circumstances. Please, say you won’t try to 
come.” 

“Not unless ” Then there was a whirr 

and one or two disconnected words and the 

connection broke short off. No wires could 

long withstand the weight of ice and snow 

and the force of wind wrenching at them. 

Mrs. Carruth tried again and again to get the 

connection, but all to no purpose, and with a 
n 


i 62 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


strange apprehension in her heart she returned 
to Charles’ bedside to reassure him regarding 
his luncheon counter. 

At noon the doctor called to see Charles, and 
during Mammy’s absence from the room Mrs. 
Carruth contrived to have a word with him. 

“He’s a pretty old man, and took big chances 
yesterday. If it were only the rheumatism I 
had to contend with, I should not feel the least 
concern for him. That is painful, I know, but 
not dangerous, as it has settled in his limbs; 
but I don’t like this temperature and breathing. 
Yet I dare say, if I use a stethoscope, he will 
think he is a dead man already. These colored 
people are difficult patients to handle, what 
with their ignorance and their emotional tem- 
peraments they are far worse than children, for 
we can compel children to do as we think best.” 

Mrs. Carruth smiled. “You do not know 
the ante-bellum negro,” she said. 

“Maybe I do not, but I know the post-bellum, 
I can tell you, and I’ve very little use for them.” 


THEN CAME WILD WEATHER 163 


“Do you wish to examine Charles?” she 
asked, quietly. 

“If he had been a white man, I should have 
done so last night when I was first called to 
attend him; but I came near being mobbed the 
last time I tried to use a stethoscope on a negro 
patient. The family thought I was about to 
remove the woman’s lungs, I believe.” 

“Charles, I wish Dr. Black to examine you 
very thoroughly while he is here — as thoroughly 
as if he were treating me. There is nothing 
to alarm you; but we cannot treat you under- 
standingly unless he learns exactly where the 
greatest difficulty lies.” 

“Wha’ he gwine do to me?” asked Charles, 
his eyes opening wide. 

“Examine your lungs and heart to see if they 
are sound and strong.” 

“He gwine cut me wide open?” cried the old 
man. 

Just then Mammy entered. It was well she 
did. “Luty, Luty, dat man gwine projec’ wid 
me, honey; don’ you let him.” 


1 64 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


For a moment Mammy seemed ready to take 
the defensive, and Dr. Black shrugged his 
shoulders in a manner which indicated : “I told 
you so.” Perhaps it was the shrug — Mammy 
wasn’t slow to grasp a situation — ^but more 
likely it was the look in her Miss Jinny’s eyes, 
for, turning to the doctor, she said, with the air 
of an African queen: 

“Yo’ is de perfessional ’tendant, an’ I wishes 
yo’ fer ter do what yo’ an’ ma Miss Jinny knows 
fer ter be right wid de patient.” 

When Dr. Black left a few moments later, 
he said to Mrs. Carruth, who had followed him 
downstairs, while Mammy remained behind to 
alternately berate and calm Charles: 

“If we can keep the fever down, the old fel- 
low may escape with nothing worse than his 
rheumatic twinges — hard to bear, but not 
alarming; but I don’t like the other symptoms. 
He was too old to take such chances. Can 
you let me hear from him about eight this 
evening?” 

“Every hour if necessary. He is like one 


THEN CAME WILD WEATHER 165 


of our own family to us, and nothing we can do 
for him or Mammy can ever repay their devo- 
tion to us. Would it not be better for you to 
call again?” 

“I’d gladly do so, but I am likely to be sum- 
moned to a patient in Glendale at any mo- 
ment, and with this storm ” And the doc- 

tor waved his hand toward the turmoil beyond 
the windows. 

“I know it. I will ’phone if ” Then 

Mrs. Carruth paused in dismay. What if the 
wires were down?” 

“My wire was all right when I left home less 
than an hour since, and you may not need me, 
after all. I hope you will not.” 

“Amen to that hope,” said Mrs. Carruth, 
fervently, and, bidding the doctor good-bye, 
she returned to Charles. 

As the day dragged on the storm increased 
in violence. Mammy would not hear of Mrs. 
Carruth returning to the house, but prepared 
a dainty tray for her and ordered her into the 
Bee-hive to partake of her luncheon, and after- 


i66 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


ward to lie down. Perhaps she would not 
have been so ready to comply with the old wo- 
man’s wishes had she not resolved upon a course 
which she felt sure Manamy would combat with 
all her strength. This was to spend the night 
with Charles, whose condition did not improve. 
Toward evening Jean came battling out to the 
cottage, followed by Constance, greatly to Mam- 
my’s consternation. 

“I ’clar’s ter goodness, yo’s all gone crazy!” 
she stormed as they came in from the Bee-hive. 
“Fo’ de Lawd’s sake, wha’ brung you chillun 
out hyer? Ain’ yo’ Ma an’ me got ’nough fer 
ter pester us wid dat sick man up dar widout 
any mo’ tribberlations ’scendin’ ’pon us? Go 
’long back, I tells yo’, ’fo’ we’s driven cl’ar 
crazy.” 

“Hush, Mammy, dear,” said Constance. “I 
want mother to go back to the house and let me 
take her place with Charles. I am so strong 
that it won’t tire me, and you know I’m a good 
nurse, don’t you?” 


THEN CAME WILD WEATHER 167 


“And so am I, Mammy. You know I am,” 
broke in Jean. “Please, please let me stay.” 

For a moment Mammy looked as though 
she were about to take a wild flight into the 
wilder weather outside, and her wits along with 
her; then she stamped her foot and said: 

“ Yo’ chillern come an’ talk wid yo’ ma.” 


CHAPTER XL 
In the Valley. 

“No, dear, I shall not wear myself out,” 
said Mrs. Carruth, gently, though firmly. 
“I want you to go back to the house to look 
after the maids and Jean ” 

“Oh, I don’t want to go back! Please, 
please let me sleep in the Bee-hive, mother. 
Please, please do,” begged Jean, clasping 
her arms about her mother’s waist. Con- 
stance interrupted: 

“Yes, mother, do. I will go back if you 
are determined not to, for I dare say the 
maids would be panicstricken if left alone; 
but Jean might just as well remain here 
with you,” for into Constance’s active brain 
had sprung an idea which she wished to 
carry out, and she knew she could count 
upon Jean’s co-operation. 

“But you and the maids would be quite 
alone in the house,” demurred Mrs. Carruth. 

(i68) 


IN THE VALLEY 


169 


“And do you think Jean would be big and 
valiant enough to protect me from prowl- 
ers ?” smiled Constance. “It would be a 
hard-pressed burglar who would venture 
forth this night. I’m thinking,” 

Just then a sound overhead caused Mrs. 
Carruth to raise her hand to enjoin silence* 
and Mammy was heard to say soothingly; 

“Dar, dar, honey, jis’ let me raise an’ ease 
yo’ up a leetle, so’s yo’ hits de sof’est fedders 
in de baid,” and quickly upon the softer, 
more soothing tones followed: “Yit what 
in de name o’ man ever done teken yo’ out 
of dis house yistiddy’s mo’n I can tell. Ef 
yo’d done taken heed ter ma’ wo’ds yo’ wouldn’ 
never come ter dis hyer pass.” 

Then followed a series of groans from the 
patient. 

“Mammy is getting worn out and conse- 
quently irritable,” said Mrs. Carruth.” 
“Yes, you may remain, Jean, but Constance 
must go back, and I must go to Charles. If 


170 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

Mammy has much more to tax her strength 
and mind she wiU be ill, and she is in no mood 
to care for Charles now; she will do more harm 
than good. Good-night, darling. Don’t worry 
about me. I will ’phone over to the house 
if I need anything in the night.” And Mrs. 
Carruth hurried upstairs. 

“Come into the Bee-hive, Jean,” whispered 
Constance. The little girl followed. 

“Now, dear,” said Constance, earnestly, “you 
and I have got to take matters into our own 
hands. Can I trust you, Jean?” Constance 
dropped upon a chair, and placing both arms 
about the little sister looked straight into her 
eyes. 

The look was returned as steadfastly, and 
the fine little head poised in a manner which 
would have delighted an artist’s soul, as Jean 
asked: 

“Don’t you know you can, Connie?” 

“Yes, I do! And here is the situation: Be- 
fore we came over here I tried to ’phone 
over to mother, but even our wire is out of 


IN THE VALLEY 


171 

order. I dare say every wire is, and that the 
trouble is in the central office, owing to this 
storm. I did not tell mother because it 
would only alarm her, and she may not have 
occasion to use the ’phone at all; I earnestly 
hope she will not until it is repaired. I shall 
go home, but I shall not go to bed. You 
stay here in the Bee-hive, but don’t undress, 
Jean; roll this warm rug around you and cud- 
dle down on the couch. I know you will drop 

asleep, but I know you will not sleep so 

soundly that you will be lost to the world 
altogether. I shall be on the couch in the 
library and can see this window from there. 
If Charles grows worse, or you think mother 
is worn out and needs me, will you flash the 
electric light three times? I shall know 
what it means and come straight over.” 
Constance spoke very quietly, but very earn- 
estly. 

“I’ll do it. I may go to sleep, but somehow 

I know I shall wake up if I am needed, Con- 

nie. Even if I am only fourteen years old 


172 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


I can be a little woman, as mother so often 
says I am.” 

“I know you can, dear, and you are, Jean; 
even if in many ways you are younger than 
most girls of your age. I don’t think any of 
us have grown up quite so fast as the girls 
around us. Mother says we have not, and 
she does not wish us to, because there are 
so many more years in which we must be old 
than in which we can be young; but I reckon 
we can rise to a situation when occasion de- 
mands, and, somehow, I feel that we will 
both be needed to-night. Dear old Charles, 
he is pretty sick, I know, or mother would 
not look so anxious, and such a night as this 
is. Why, Jean, we could not get a message to 
Dr. Black however badly we might need him. 
We must depend entirely upon ourselves.” 

“I wonder Champion did not come over.” 

“He ’phoned mother this morning, but be- 
fore she got all his message the connection 
broke, and, I dare say, the roads have been 
almost impassable.” 


IN THE VALLEY 


173 


"Impassable roads would never keep him 
from coming,” cried the "Chanipion’s” 
champion. "There must have been some- 
thing worse than the roads. I don’t know 
what, but I know it was something,” insisted 
Jean. 

“Yes, I am sure there must have been, he 
is always so thoughtful for us,” replied Con- 
stance, a soft light springing into her eyes 
as she recalled Hadyn’s unvarying kindness 
from the first moment she knew him. 
"Now, good-night, honey. I hope you won’t 
need me at all, but I know you will be on the 
lookout if you do.” 

A moment later Constance was struggling 
back to the house through the blinding 
storm and snowdrifts. As she entered the 
back door the front one opened to admit a 
snow-covered, panting figure, and Hadyn 
confronted her. 

“Great Scott! Where have you come 
•from?” he demanded. 

“I might ask the same question,” panted 


174 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


Constance, divesting herself of her cloak, and 
shaking it to free it from the snow which covered 
it. “Get out of your coat, quick, and give it 
to Lilly to hang in the kitchen until it is dry. 
What under the sun possessed you to try to come 
here to-night, you madman?” 

“Under the sun? Nay, lady, neither sun 
nor moon. I fear you are wandering. Is it 
a case of blizzard-madness?” answered Hadyn, 
as he slipped off his big ulster and cap and gave 
them to the maid. 

“Now, come along in here and tell me all 
the little mother couldn’t tell me. Where is 
she, and where is my little sister?” 

“Lilly, please bring some more logs for the 
library fire. Come in here, Hadyn, and I’ll 
tell you all about it. Mother and Jean are over 
With Charles and Mammy, and I’m here to 
mount guard over the house and maids, who, 
luckily, are storm-bound.” 

“But why on earth aren’t you all here? The 
little mother and Jean have no business to be 
anywhere else on such a villainous night. Let 


IN THE VALLEY 


175 


me go right over after them,” and Hadyn turned 
toward the door. 

“Stop! Wait! Listen to me!” 

“ Oh, of course, Mademoiselle la General,” 
laughed Hadyn, as Constance laid a detain- 
ing hand upon his arm. “I’m listening.” 

“Then sit down to do it and hear the whole 
story. When you really know all about it 
you can help me; but you might as well 
whistle to the wind out yonder as to hope to 
get mother back here to-night. Yes, Lilly, 
put the logs in the basket, and you and Rose 
please stay in the kitchen until eleven. I will 
be out to speak to you when Mr. Stujwesant 
goes.” 

“When he does” said Hadyn, under his 
breath, then louder: “It must be rather sat- 
isfying to have such a flower-garden right 
indoors when it is whooping things up so 
outside,” and he nodded toward the maid just 
leaving the room. “If you could only have 
a ‘Violet’ and a ‘Pansy,’ and one or two 


176 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


other blossoms, you’d have a whole green- 
house.” 

Constance laughed outright as she an- 
swered : 

“We’ve had wood nymphs, and some of the 
months — May and June, for instance — and 
several jewels, to say nothing of a few roy- 
alties, so nothing will surprise us now; but 
Mammy seems equal to all of them put to- 
gether. And apropos of Mammy, let me tell 
you all about her and Charles.” 

They sat down before the blazing logs 
while Constance told of the experiences of 
the past twenty-four hours. Hadyn listened 
with a troubled face. 

“I’d no idea it was so serious,” he said, 
when she finished, “but I am mighty glad I 
came over to-night. , And now you are to 
heed what I say: you may sit here with me 
until eleven if you will. I’ll be right glad 
of your company. Then you are going up- 
stairs to bed — yes, you are, too. Now, it is 
no use ‘argifyin’,’ to quote Mammy. I’ll stay 


IN THE VALLEY 


m. 


here in the library snug, warm, and as com- 
fortable as any man could wish to be. I shall 
see Jean’s light if she signals, and I’ll be 
good — yes, honest I will. You doubt it, I 
know, and you think I will sneak over yon- 
der and be more bother than I am worth; 
but I give you my word I won’t. I’ll do ex- 
actly as you would do if you were here 
alone.” 

Constance raised her eyes to his, and little 
guessed how hard it was for the man who 
looked into their pure, trustful depths to re- 
frain from holding out his arms to the girl 
who had grown so dear to him during the 
past three and a half years. 

‘T’ll take you at your word,” she answered. 

“Good. Now sit down and toast your 
toes before this blaze. By Jove, is there any- 
thing like blazing logs and soft lamplight? 
They spell h-o-m-e, don’t they?” and Hadyn 
glanced around the cosy room as though to 
him, at least, it held the sweetest elements 

of home a man could ask for. 

12 


178 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


Softly the little clock ticked the moments 
and hours away as they sat there together, 
talking over a hundred little happenings of 
the past years, now and then glancing over 
to the Bee-hive. But all was quiet. A dim 
light shone in Mammy’s bedroom, and in the 
Bee-hive Jean’s shaded electric light cast a 
faint halo upon the snow which continued 
to whirl by the window, although the wind 
had died down a little and the storm seemed 
less violent. Shortly after ten Constance 
went out to the kitchen to see that the storm- 
bound maids were comforable. Cots had 
been placed in the laundry for them, and 
they were probably far better off than they 
would have been in their own home. 

“Now, are you sure you will be comfort- 
able?” she asked Hadyn when she returned 
to the library. He glanced about the room, 
at the cheerful fire and the divan, with its 
numberless pillows, and smiled significantly. 
“Only trouble is, I may be too comfortable,” 
he said. “But you need not worry,” as a 


IN THE VALLEY 


179 


slight shade of doubt crossed Constance’s 
face. “I won’t go to the Land o’ Nod. But 
you must, so good-night, little girl. Go on 
upstairs and sleep well. I know just what 
that room looks like; I shall never forget the 
night you gave it up to me. If I had known 
it a little sooner, I should not have let you 
do so, although the memory of it has been 
one of the sweetest ones of my life. Good- 
night.” 

“Good-night, Hadyn, and — thank you a 
thousand times.” 

If he held the slender fingers an extra mo- 
ment, and looked earnestly into the beautiful 
eyes raised to his, he was hardly to be 
blamed. 

Turning to the book shelves, he selected a 
book and went back to his chair before the 
fire. Eleven and twelve were struck by the 
clock on the mantle shelf, but all was quiet in 
the little cottage at the foot of the garden. 
Then came three single strokes in succes- 
sion; twelve-thirty, one, one-thirty. Hadyn 


i8o THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


remembered no more. His wild struggle 
through the storm earlier in the evening, the 
silent house, the warmth, the luxurious 
depth of the Morris chair had all conspired 
against his resolutions, and three o’clock was 
striking when he started wide awake with a 
sense of calamity at hand and the deepest 
contrition in his heart — an hour and a half 
blotted out as though they had never been! 


CHAPTER XIL 


Of the Shadow. 

As the night wore on, Mrs. Carruth and 
Mammy grew more and more anxious for 
their patient. The severe weather told upon 
him in spite of the even temperature of the 
cottage, and he suffered as a man upon the 
rack. With the intense pain came higher 
temperature, and by one o’clock Mrs. Car- 
ruth began to see that further medical ad- 
vice was imperative; something more than 
they could do must be done for Charles, for 
he could not endure such torture for many 
more hours. Furthermore, his breathing 
had become very labored, and Mrs. Carruth 
feared the worst from that symptom. With- 
out saying anything to Mammy she slipped 
noiselessly into the Bee-hive, meaning to 
’phone to Dr. Black. In that little sanctum 
all was snug and quiet. Noiselessly remov- 

(i8i) 


i 82 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


ing the receiver, she tried to call up central. 
There was no response, and a shadow fell 
across her face. Then she tried her own 
home, but without result; the storm had com- 
pletely disorganized the entire service. She 
was sorely troubled and about to slip back 
to Charles, when Jean’s face appeared at the 
top of the stairway, and she called softly: 

“Mother, is Charles worse?” 

“Why, dearie! What are you doing out 
of your bed at this hour?” 

“Don’t scold me, Mumsey, I haven’t been 
in it, only lying on the outside, ’cause I 
thought you might need me; do you?” 

“No, honey, certainly not. You must un- 
dress at once and get into bed.” 

“But, mother, is Charles worse?” If he 
isn’t please let me go and sit with Mammy 
while you come in here and go to bed; you 
have been up all night. If he isn’t worse you 
can be spared, and I’ll be all the help Mammy 
tjeeds. If he is worse you need me, anyway. 


OF THE SHADOW 183 

I’ve had a long rest, and been asleep, too, 
though I tried hard not to.” 

As she talked, Jean tiptoed down the 
stairs, and, coming close to her mother, 
slipped her arms about her waist and nestled 
her head against her shoulder. The past 
three months had made a great change in 
Jean. For a long time it seemed as though 
she never meant to grow another inch, for 
at thirteen she was no taller than a child of 
eleven, although plump and strong beyond 
the average child. Then she suddenly took 
a start and shot up, up, up, until now she was 
fully as tall as Constance, but slight and 
pliable as a willow wand. 

Mrs. Carruth laid her arms caressingly 
about her shoulders, and rested her cheek 
against the wonderful hair : hair of the deep- 
est, richest bronze, and soft and wavy to a 
degree. 

“My little woman,” she said, very ten- 
derly. 

“If I truly am, then let me do a little 


i 84 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


woman’s part. You are tired and terribly 
worried about Charles. Let me come in and 
help.” 

“There is so little we can do, Jean. We 
have done practically all we know how to do, 
and Dr. Black asked me to ’phone if there 
seemed to be any pronounced change. I 
haven’t said anything to Mammy, because I 
do not want to alarm her more than I must ; 
but I would give anything to communicate 
with him, and the wires are down.” 

“Yes, I know they are; Connie told me so 
before she went home, and that was one rea- 
son she wanted me to stay here: she was 
afraid you would need help during the night 
and be unable to get it.” 

Mrs. Carruth was about to reply, when 
Mammy’s frightened face appeared in the 
doorway. 

“Yes, Mammy! What is it?” 

Poor old Mammy! One of the child-race, 
she was pitifully at a loss in the face of such 
a situation as the present crisis. Had it 


OF THE SHADOW 


185 


been any of her white folks she would have 
been efficient to the last degree, carrying out 
the precepts of “ole Miss,” who “raised” her, 
remembering with marvellous accuracy each 
detail of that ante-bellum training, and per- 
forming each with a patience and tenderness 
incomprehensible to those who have never 
known the heart-service rendered by those 
old-time servitors. But, strange anomaly, 
though a characteristic so very marked in 
her race. Mammy was utterly helpless when 
it came to taking the initiative for Charles 
or herself in sickness. Then she turned to 
her “white folks,” and if her Miss Jinny had 
bidden her drink strychnine, or give it to 
Charles, she would have obeyed her unques- 
tionably. Strange people that they are! 

“Please, come quick. Miss Jinny! I’se 
powerful trebbled. Charles he sought o’ 
wanderin’ in his min’ and talkin’ a heap o’ 
foolishness.” 

Without a word Mrs. Carruth hurried 
from the Bee-hive in Mammy’s wake, Jean, 


i86 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


unnoticed, close behind her. As she entered 
the room Charles was sitting upright, talk- 
ing wildly and gesticulating to some imagi- 
nary person at the foot of his bed. Mammy, 
true to her instincts, flung her apron over 
her head, and, dropping upon her knees in 
the middle of the floor, cried: 

“He sees de hants! He sees de hants! 
His hours done numbered!” and followed it 
up with earnest petitions for Charles’ life. 
Mrs. Carruth knew colored people too well 
to waste time in expostulations. She knew 
that the only way to bring Mammy back to 
her senses was to set about doing for Charles 
the things which Mammy, in a more rational 
frame of mind, would have done herself. 
Hurrying to his bedside, she said to the semi- 
delirious old man: 

“Why, Charles, did you miss me when I 
went to speak to Miss Jean? It is Jean you 
wish to see, isn’t it? Well, here she is right 
at the foot of the bed, but you can talk to her 
quite as well when you are lying down. 


Charles Was Sitting Upright Talking Wildly. 







I ^ 


r ui-i ^^'^ > ■ ■*' '■-' ’ ■ V* JHfr' ‘J.9 ® 

' » ' * -v^. J . ^ ^ ^ '/ -r v^ t - ■ r *^?fii| * 

■ ./•'^‘k'»y 


I • --™'* ■ _ 


>s*^ ^ r V 


• rX 











OF THE CHADOW 187 

There, that is better,” as Charles, in obedi- 
ence to her gentle easing down, let himself 
be laid back among his pillows. Mammy- 
caught sight of the act, and it recalled her 
to her senses quicker than a whip lash could 
have done. Springing to her feet, she hur- 
ried to the bedside, and taking her mistress 
by both hands forced her into the chair near 
at hand, exclaiming under her breath: 

“Bress Gawd, baby! wha’, wha’ yo’ mean 
by liftin’ dat heavy man ?” 

Mrs. Carruth had not misjudged, but she 
was none the kss concerned for Charles 
who continued to ramble on to Jean, who 
stood at the foot of the bed. A distant clock 
struck one-thirty. Mammy was doing all 
she could to quiet Charles, while Mrs. Car- 
ruth slipped into the adjoining room to pre- 
pare some medicine for him. Jean chose that 
moment to hurry back to the Bee-hive. A 
moment later the electric drop light was 
flashing its message across the snow-bound 
garden to the darkened house beyond. 


i88 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


There was no response. Again and again 
Jean turned the switch, flashing out across 
the snow the bright light from the tungsten 
bulb, and watching eagerly for some re- 
sponse, but the house remained perfectly 
dark; and at length, in despair, she gave up 
signalling and went swiftly back to Mam- 
ma’s side of the cottage. Creeping softly up 
to the bedroom she looked in. Her mother 
was too much occupied with Charles to no- 
tice her return, and Mammy was placing hot 
water bags at the old man’s feet. From the 
anxious look upon her mother’s face, Jean 
knew that she was seriously alarmed for 
Charles, who was trembling and quivering 
with a sudden chill. Without a word she 
turned and sped back to the Bee-hive. Five 
minutes later she opened the door and 
slipped out into the night. The storm had 
nearly ceased, but the clouds, driven by a 
wild, bleak wind, were still scudding across 
the sky. There was no moon, and it would 
have been a brave star which dared send its 


OF THE SHADOW 


189 


cheerful gleam through that cloud rack. 
Upon the ground the snow lay in deep wind- 
driven banks, in some places higher than 
Jean’s head. All the world was dark, silent, 
awesome. Jean never paused. She had 
formed her plans upon the instant, and was 
acting upon them as promptly. A hundred 
feet from the cottage old Baltic’s stable 
loomed in the darkness, the snow upon the 
eastern side of it banked high as the little 
window over his stall. Luckily the doors 
were upon the southern, more protected side 
of the building; and after struggling and 
wallowing through the snow until she was 
nearly breathless, Jean reached them. Paus- 
ing a moment to recover her breath, she in- 
serted the key in the lock and opened the 
smaller door. She was instantly greeted by 
a soft nicker. Baltic never slept when the 
footfalls, however light, of those he loved 
drew near. 

“Baltic, Baltic, dear,” cried Jean, softly, 
running to the box and opening the door. 


190 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


switching on the light as she ran. But 
neither light nor darkness meant anything 
to Baltie. His sensitive ears bounded his 
world of darkness, and love did the rest. His 
head was in Jean’s arms in a moment. 

“Can you do it, dear? Can you do it for 
Charles and Mammy? I wouldn’t ask you 
to if I could go alone, but you are bigger and 
stronger than I am, Baltie, even if you are 
so old. Can you take me to Dr. Black’s 
through this deep snow? It isn’t so very far, 
Baltie, and we’ll be careful. Can you, Bal- 
tie? We must have him, for Charles is so 
sick.” 

For answer the horse nestled closer to the 
girl, and nickered repeatedly. 

“I know you mean ‘yts,’ dear. I know you 
do. I’ll be careful, Baltie. I’ll cover you up 
all warm and snug.” 

As she talked, Jean threw over Baltie’s 
head the head and neck blanket, which 
Charles had insisted must be part of the old 
horse’s impedimenta during the severe win- 


OF THE SHADOW 


191 

ter months. Deftly pushing his ears into the 
ear coverings, she drew the hood over his 
head, his soft eyes shining upon her like two 
moons from the circular openings, and but- 
toned it around his throat. An extra blan- 
ket was quickly added, and then the old sad- 
dle was strapped on. Leading Baltie to the 
door, Jean switched off the electric light, gave 
one lithe little spring and landed across the 
saddle. It had not taken her long to shift 
from her ordinary clothing into Constance’s 
divided riding skirt up there in the Bee-hive, 
or to add the heavy outer garments the in- 
clement weather made necessary. 

“Now, Baltie, we must go, we must, dear. 
Please, please do your best for Charles and 
Mammy, they have been so good to you.” 

As though he understood every word 
spoken to him, the horse bent to the driving 
wind and plunged into the unbroken road. 
Dr. Black’s home was less than a mile from 
Mrs. Carruth’s, and ordinarily Jean could 
have walked it in less than fifteen minutes. 


192 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


or run it in ten, and had often done so; but 
all walks and roadways were now completely 
obliterated. She must trust to her sense of 
direction and to Baltic’s wonderful instinct. 

On plodded the good old creature, break- 
ing into a light lope where the wind had 
swept the street comparatively free of snow, 
wallowing, pounding, pawing into the drifts 
where they barred his progress, snorting his 
protest, not at Jean, but at the elements, 
though never pausing in his efforts, which 
made him breathe hard, and more than once 
slow up for his second wind. 

Jean had ridden from her earliest child- 
hood, and had a man’s seat in the saddle. 
Now she leaned forward, her arms clasped 
about the great, heaving neck, the while 
speaking encouraging words into the ears 
laid back to catch her voice. As they drew 
near the more thickly settled portion of 
Riveredge, the blank, dense silence in which 
it lay impressed her strongly. During the 
first half mile the electric lights at measured 


OF THE SHADOW 


193 


intervals cast their fantastic gleam and 
shadows upon the snow. In this section 
• they were numerous and brought into 
stronger relief the ghostly houses. Far off 
some shivering dog howled dismally, and 
instantly Jean thought of old Mammy’s su- 
perstitions, and her convictions “dat ef he 
howl two times an’ stop, it sure is fer a man 
ter die.” This dog had howled “two times.” 
Jean was not superstitious, but she was the 
child of southern-born parents, and had been 
“raised” by a very typical southern “Mam- 
my.” Tradition is very hard to overcome. 
She shivered, but not from the biting cold, 
though her feet were numb from it. 

Not a human being was in sight as she 
turned into the street upon which Dr. 
Black’s house stood five blocks further 
down. They might almost as well have been 
fifty, for the street was narrower than most 
of the others, and running north and south 
had caught the full brunt of the northeaster. 
More than one piazza and front door was 

13 


194 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


banked nearly to the piazza roof, and the 
street itself practically impassable. 

Baltie had come bravely thus far, but such . 
a white mountain as now lay before him was 
enough to daunt a young horse, much less 
an old blind one. He stopped, his flanks 
heaving, his head drooping. Jean was 
almost ready to give up in despair, for the 
cold had chilled her to the bone, and feet and 
hands were almost without sensation. 

“Oh, Baltie, Baltie, my dear. old horse, 
can’t you go a little further? Can’t you, 
dear? Please, please try just once more. 
It’s only a very little way now; only such a 
little way! I can see the light in front of 
Dr. Black’s door. I’d get off your back and 
walk, or try to, if I didn’t know that I 
couldn’t go five steps. Come, Baltie, please 
try just once more. 

Perhaps it was Jean’s pleading, perhaps 
Baltie’s wind had returned; at all events, he 
raised his head, gave a wild snort, a mad 
plunge, and, after a desperate struggle. 


OF THE SHADOW 


195 


floundered up to Dr. Black’s gate. The 
house was barely twenty feet from it, but the 
snow was up to Jean’s waist. 

She never knew how she forced her way 
through it, or reached the electric button. 
She only knew she must do it somehow. 
When, in response to its prolonged jingling 
by his bedside, Dr. Black came back to this 
world of real things from the world of dreams, 
into which a long, hard day of work and 
exposure had carried him, and making a hur- 
ried toilet hastened down* to the door, he 
found a huddled heap upon the doormat, and 
saw in the drifts beyond a quivering, panting 
horse. 

In two minutes the whole household was 
astir, kind Mrs. Black had Jean up in her 
bedroom, the doctor administering restora- 
tives, the doctor’s man had led Baltic around 
to the stable and was caring for him with all 
possible despatch. 

“Look after her, Polly, and don’t let' her 
leave that bed until I say she may. I must 


196 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


be off to Mrs. Carruth’s. I don’t believe she 
even knows this child is here. It’s all the 
result of this confounded storm and the 
wires being down. Such a blizzard as this 
hasn’t struck Riveredge in thirty years. 

It did not take Dr. Black as long to reach 
Mrs. Carruth’s home as it had taken Jean 
to reach his, and when he arrived he found 
a distracted household. Hadyn had rushed 
over to the Bee-hive to find Jean van- 
ished, Mrs. Carruth entirely absorbed with 
Charles, who was in a very critical condi- 
tion, and Mammy nearly beside herself. As 
Hadyn, in spite of Mrs. Carruth’s protests, 
insisted upon going after Dr. Black, he was 
confronted by that gentleman at the very 
door. 


CHAPTER XIII. 

Aftermath. 

That storm of March, 19 — , claimed many 
a victim. More than one was frozen to death, 
many died from the exposure, and many more 
were invalids for months as the result of it. 
All that terrible night Dr. Black worked over 
old Charles, with Mammy and Hadyn to aid 
him, and Constance to vibrate between the 
house and the cottage, for with the first peep 
of dawn Mr. Henry’s man came over to dig 
out the snow-bound family and make a path 
from house to cottage. Mrs. Carruth, upon 
learning of Jean’s desperate rush for Dr. Black 
and her collapse at his doorstep, started in- 
stantly for his home. Charles could claim a 
great deal from her, but the claim of her own 
was far greater, and Dr. Black’s sleigh and 
powerful horse carried her to Jean as quickly 
as the great snowdrifts permitted. 

(197) 


198 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


But Jean was really none the worse for her 
mad ride once she was warmed and had par- 
taken of Mrs. Black’s cup of steaming hot 
chocolate. She was as strong and pliable as 
a hickory sapling, which, the storm having 
passed over it, springs erect and is as vigorous 
as ever. Mrs. Black soon reassured Mrs. Car- 
ruth, and at length had the satisfaction of see- 
ing them both fast asleep in her guest room, 
Mrs. Carruth’s arm, even in her sleep, laid ca- 
ressingly and protectingly across Jean’s shoul- 
der. Both were worn out, and noon had 
struck before they wakened to reproach them- 
selves for their long rest and to make inquiry 
for Charles. Dr. Black had just returned, and 
reported a decided improvement in the old man. 

“And Baltic — dear old Baltic?” demanded 
Jean. 

“Baltic is sure enough in clover, little girl,” 
answered the good doctor. “Dried clover, and 
last summer’s clover, to be sure, but none the 
less clover, for Dick has nearly buried him in 
it, and the pld fellow seems none the worse for 


AFTERMATH 


199 


his struggle through snowdrifts. But you are 
both trumps — the queen of hearts and the king, 
by George ! I don’t know how you did it !” 

“We had to do it. There wasn’t anyone 
else to.” 

Dr. Black took the earnest face in both his 
hands, and, looking into the hazel eyes, said: 

“It is a pity a few more are not convinced 
of that ‘we had to.’ ” 

Then he drove his guests back to their home. 
It was agreed that Baltic should not be taken 
out of Dr. Black’s stable until the weather 
moderated. 

A week passed. Charles was out of danger, 
but still required the closest attention, and Con- 
stance insisted upon a nurse from Memorial 
Hospital. Mammy protested, but her protests 
were of no avail.' Constance saw very quickly 
that weeks of careful nursing lay ahead, and 
she would not permit her mother to overtax 
ner strength. Mammy must attend to her 
cooking and the luncheon counter, now that 
Charles could not. Constance had her own 


200 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


hands full with her candy kitchen, for, even 
with Mary and Fanny Willing to assist her, 
she had all she could do to keep abreast of her 
orders. So the nurse took command in Mam- 
my’s bedroom, and Mammy had to yield. 

Perhaps no one felt the situation half as 
keenly as Hadyn did. That he had dozed off 
in that hour and a half in which so much oc- 
curred filled him with a remorse he could not 
overcome. He had been left at a post of duty 
at a critical hour, and he had failed ignomin- 
iously. He would not admit any extenuating 
circumstances, for he sincerely felt that there 
were none. If others had kept awake when 
it was imperative to keep awake, why had he 
not done so? If little Jean had been able to 
do so, and when he had failed her had under- 
taken such a ride, undaunted by the hour, the 
darkness, the loneliness and the terrific storm, 
while he dozed snugly before the open fire — oh, 
it was intolerable, disgraceful ! And these 
friends had done so much for him! True, no 
harm had come to Jean or to the others, but 


AFTERMATH 


201 


Hadyn shuddered when he pictured what might 
have happened in those ninety minutes. Coax 
and urge as he would he could not induce Jean 
to admit that she had signalled to the house for 
aid, albeit he felt as certain that she had done 
so as if he had seen the electric light flashed. 
When he urged she simply closed her lips and 
shook her head, and as no one else, not even 
Constance, could enlighten him, he had to let 
the matter drop. 

In the course of the next week Baltic came 
hobbling back to his home. In spite of all the 
care given him at Dr. Black’s, the old horse 
showed the effects of his exposure and the ter- 
rible tax upon his strength that wild night; 
yet none who loved him so well dreamed that 
the great summons had really come to the an- 
imal which had given more than thirty years 
of faithful service to his friends. From little 
colthood he had been Grandfather Raulsbury’s 
pet until the old man’s death. Then had come 
the dreadful interval of evil days when Jabe 
Raulsbury had so misused him, to be followed 


202 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


by the happier ones with the Garruths — days 
of unremitting care, affection and happiness 
for Baltie and those who loved him, and espec- 
ially to Jean and Mammy. And how gener- 
ously he had requited their devotion to him! 
Indeed, the last act of his life was to be re- 
corded as one of service to those he loved — a 
service which had undoubtedly saved the life 
of one who had tenderly ministered to his com- 
fort. But for Baltic’s devotion Charles’ life 
could not have been saved, all agreed, and the 
one who loved the blind horse more than any 
other excepting Jean would have mourned her 
old husband. Mammy’s heart was large 
enough to take in all the world if they needed 
her love and care, though she often hid that 
fact beneath an assumed aggressiveness. That 
was Mammy’s way. 

From the hour that Baltie had become the 
joint property of Jean and Mammy, and later 
the ownership had embraced Charles, they had 
not missed visiting his stable the first thing in 
the morning. For a long time Mammy’s was 


AFTERMATH 


203 


the first voice the blind old horse heard when 
he greeted the morning sunlight which 
streamed into his big box stall; Mammy’s the 
first hand to minister to his comfort and caress 
him. Then, as soon as she was dressed, Jean 
flew to the stable, and a pretty scene always 
followed. When Charles came into the family 
he was the one to go first to the stable; but 
neither Jean nor Mammy ever failed to visit 
Baltie a little later, and during those years he 
had become almost human. Only human 
speech seemed denied him, but this lack he 
supplied by his own Houyhnhnm language, 
and the silent but most eloquent language of 
the eyes and ears which God has given mute 
creatures — each so very wonderful if dull hu- 
man’s will only try to learn them. In the au- 
dible one are almost as many inflections as in 
the broader range of the human voice, and it 
is a dull intellect indeed which cannot inter- 
pret it: 

“I love you, I am cold, I am hungry, I am 
parched with thirst,” and a hundred other sen- 


204 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


tences, or read the language of the eyes and 
ears. 

And Baltie’s vocabulary was a liberal one; 
his conversational powers exceptional; his 
friends understanding the keenest. 

As often occurs, that blizzard, which is now 
history, was followed by weather as soft and 
balmy as mid-April rather than late March. 
As if by magic the snow disappeared, running 
away in rivers of water and leaving the turf 
beneath showing promising bits of green, which 
made one feel little tingles of joy at the hint 
of springtime. Only in sunless spots did banks 
of snow linger surlily and soiled, like some 
malign creature beaten, but not too vindictive 
to withdraw. The stable fronted south, and 
all the graciousness of that early spring sun- 
shine fell upon it and entered its doors the 
minute they were opened. In spite of her 
anxiety for Charles, and her increased labors 
as the result of his illness and convalescence. 
Mammy had somehow found time to visit Bal- 
tic each day, though she was not often able 


AFTERMATH 


205 


to do so early in the morning. It was Jean 
who ran out to him long before anyone else 
was astir, and more than once had Constance 
been obliged to go out after her, lest she forget 
breakfast, school, and everything else. 

Baltie had been back in his own stable about 
a week when he began to show signs that the 
wonderful machinery which had endured for 
so many years was wearing out. Had Charles 
or Mammy been looking after him then, they 
would have recognized the signs; but Mr. 
Henry’s man, though he did everything for 
Baltie’s comfort, saw in him nothing but a 
worn-out old horse, which must very soon go 
the way of all old worn-out horses, and Jean 
lacked experience to understand. So the cli- 
max came when no one dreamed it was pend- 
ing. 

It was a wonderful morning late in March. 
Out in the garden some pioneer robins had ven- 
tured into the northern world, and were calling 
madly to one another of the grave responsi- 
bilities of selecting building sites, and con- 


2o6 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


structing homes against the arrival of their 
wives, who had, like themselves, been winter- 
ing in the South. On the southern terrace a 
few venturesome crocuses popped their heads 
up through the moist earth to smile a “howdy, 
friend,” at a passerby. Off in the distance the 
river lay like a mirror, with vast ice floes drop- 
ping down stream with the tide, crystal barges 
for Elaine, and moving as silently, each dupli- 
cated in the water mirror that floated them, 
as were also the opposite shore and mountains. 
A wonderful picture, mirage-like in its outline 
and exquisite coloring. Those who knew that 
river best read the signs unerringly. The 
farmers living in the environs of Riveredge 
called this peculiar atmospheric condition a 
“weather breeder.” 

There was something in Jean which fairly 
leaped out to meet the newly awakened world 
and springtide. From a little child she had 
lived very close indeed to nature’s heart. The 
first balmy breath of spring seemed to intoxi- 
cate her ; the first bird-call could throw her into 


AFTERMATH 


207 


an ecstacy ; an early spring blossom invariably 
caused a rapture; summer’s languor and rich- 
ness bore her off into a beautiful world of her 
own ; autumn’s “mellow, yellow, ripening days, 
floating in a golden coating of a dreamy, 
listless haze,” conveyed her instantly into 
dreamland ; winter’s frost and sparkle produced 
the wildest exhilaration. Was it any wonder 
that, coming out into the early morning sun- 
light of that soft springlike day, with bird notes 
filling the air, and her own pulses thrilling with 
life at its dawn, Jean’s cheeks glowed and her 
eyes sparkled with the very joy of living? 

It was still very early and no one yet astir. 
Over in Mammy’s cottage a faint smoke wraith 
floated up from the chimney, telling that Mam- 
my was astir. Jean had thrown a warm cape 
about her, for the morning air still had its 
chill, and, enticed by the sunlight, she ran 
down the piazza steps, inhaling deep breaths 
of the delicious air. Pausing a moment to 
revel in it all, her eyes fell upon the stable. 
The next second she was darting away like a 


2o8 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


swallow, no premonition in her heart of what 
lay behind its closed doors. 

Opening the door she entered with a soft 
whistle. When had there failed to be an in- 
stant response to that whistle? This time 
there was silence only. 

“Oh, Baltic, dear ! Come, Baltic !” she called, 
running across to the box stall and opening the 
door. Then there was a low cry, and Jean 
stood for a moment as though petrified. On 
the sweet, clean straw lay the old horse, body 
inert, limbs relaxed, head resting upon its bed 
of soft straw as a tired, worn-out veteran’s 
might rest upon his pillow, his eyes closed, and 
without a flutter of the delicate nostrils to in- 
dicate breathing. Life seemed extinct. With 
a piteous cry Jean glided to the horse’s head 
and dropped upon her knees, clasping her arms 
about the silky neck. 

“Baltic, oh, Baltic, dear, look at me ! Speak 
to me,” she begged. 

The eyelids fluttered, and the faintest possi- 
ble nicker was breathed through the nostrils 


AFTERMATH 


209 


as he strove to raise his head. Too late ! The 
angel of death was about to claim one of his 
most faithful creatures, and, let us hope, the 
recording angel was already checking off the 
deeds of a devoted life and a disposition which 
many of his friends claiming immortality 
might emulate. 

“Oh, my Baltie, my Baltie!” sobbed Jean, 
slipping into a sitting position and lifting the 
horse’s head into her lap. “Must you leave 
me? Must your life end now ? I love you so, 
Baltie, I love you so! You have been so. good, 
so faithful ! How can I let you die ? how can 
I?” and with heartbreaking sobs Jean buried 
her head in the silky forelock as her arms 
clasped the great head. 

Slowly the sunlight which Baltie and Jean 
so loved crept around and looked into the win- 
dow of the stall. On a branch just beyond 
the window a bluebird caroled as though not 
in all the sunlit world was there sorrow or 
death. 

In the stall Jean sat motionless. Her first 

14 


210 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


impulse had been to rush for aid; but who could 
aid in this extremity? Instinctively the girl 
knew it to be the end, and somehow, in her 
great love for her pet, she did not wish anyone 
else to intrude upon the moment of his passing. 
She had no idea of the flight of time. Ten 
minutes or an hour might have passed without 
her noting them. Baltie lay perfectly still, his 
head in her lap, her arms clasping his neck. 
Gently, sweetly as he had lived, so was Baltie 
slipping out of the world of sentient creatures. 
Only the faintest flutter of breath indicated 
that life lingered. His effort to greet the one 
he loved seemed to have demanded his last 
atom of vitality. After a little Jean’s sobs 
ceased, though tears still fell upon the satiny 
head. She did not know how long she had 
been in the stall, when just the softest sigh 
was breathed from the delicate nostrils, a faint 
quiver passed over the great frame, and Baltie 
was at rest forever. Gently as he had lived, 
so had Baltie died. 

Two hours later Mammy came out to the 
stable in quest of Jean. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


In the Springtide. 

It is probable that not even those who 
loved her best realized how Jean had loved 
the pet which had been her daily companion 
for nearly four years. The very fact that she 
had rescued him from a miserable death, 
nursed and tended him to restored health, 
had felt his love for her growing with each 
day, made Baltie nearer and dearer to her 
than a young, vigorous horse could ever 
have been. 

Baltie was now resting in his lowly bed 
at the foot of the garden, but Jean did not 
cease to grieve for him. When Mammy had 
found her with Baltic’s head in her lap that 
morning there had been a pathetic little 
scene — for Mammy loved the old horse as 
'dearly as Jean loved him; but had she been 
entirely indifferent to him, the fact that her 

(2II) 


212 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


baby loved him would have been enough to 
exalt him above all other animals in Mam- 
my’s sight. Jean was utterly exhausted by 
her grief and benumbed from her cramped 
position when Mammy found her, and the 
good old soul was genuinely alarmed when 
she tried to help the child to her feet. Bal- 
tie’s weight and her cramped position had 
completely arrested circulation. In spite of 
her own grief Mammy lifted Baltie’s head 
from Jean’s lap, laid it gently upon the straw 
and then helped the girl up, or tried to, for 
Jean was too numb to stand. 

“Bress Gawd, what cornin’ to us nex’ ?” she 
cried, half carrying Jean to the house, where 
Constance met them. 

It was hours before Jean could walk un- 
aided, and many days before the girl smiled 
again. Mrs. Carruth grew troubled, and one 
afternoon spoke to Hadyn about her. 

‘T am so distressed about it. She is filled 
with remorse for having taken Baltie out 
that night, and that, added to her grief for 


IN THE SPRINGTIDE 


213 


him, is making the child positively; ill. I 
have done my best to make her understand 
that Baltie had already lived far beyond a 
horse’s allotted years, and that very soon he 
must have come into his long rest, but I 
seem to make no impression.” 

‘Tf I had been on hand when needed he 
would be alive this minute, and my little girl 
happy and cheery as ever,” protested Hadyn. 
“I’ll never, never forgive myself that lapse 
as long as I live, and nothing I can do will 
ever atone for it. It was the most contemp- 
tible failure of which I have ever been guilty; 
but I declare to you, I’m going to do some- 
thing to make reparation. Where is Jean 
now?” 

“She went down to the Arcade for Con- 
stance about an hour ago, but she ought to 
be back very soon.” 

“I’ll walk down and meet my little sister. 
I’ve a scheme simmering far back in my 
witless mind which may take form and shape 
if I can keep awake. Au revoir, little 


214 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


mother,” and with the grace so characteris- 
tic of him, Hadyn raised her hand and 
pressed his lips to it ! There was no one on 
earth he loved as he loved this gentle, gra- 
cious woman. 

Riveredge in its early April dress was very 
dainty. She seemed to be preparing for 
Easter, which this year fell late in the month, 
and over all the world lay the softest veil of 
gossamer green. The air was redolent of 
cherry and apple blossoms, and filled with 
bird notes. 

As Hadyn walked down the steep road- 
way, which led from the Carruth’s to the 
broader highway, he saw Jean coming 
toward him and waved his hand in greeting. 
As he hurried toward her he called: 

“Well met, little sister,” raising his hat 
and extending his hand. 

A quick light sprung into Jean’s eyes. “I 
like that,” she said, with a quaint, little up- 
raising of her head. 

“Like what, Jean?” 


IN THE SPRINGTIDE 


215 


“I like to have a man bow as you do, 
Champion. Because I’m only fourteen and 
still wear short skirts some of them seem to 
think a nod and ‘how-d’-do’ is all that is re- 
quired of them, but I don’t agree with them.” 

Hadyn did not betray the amusement this 
characteristic little comment caused him. 
He knew Jean to be more observing of the 
amenities than most girls of her age, and 
that all her Southern instincts demanded the 
chivalrous attention which generations of 
her ancestors had received from men. Many 
of her girl friends laughed at her and teased 
her, but that did not lower her standard of 
what was due womanhood from manhood. 

“I should be unworthy the name you’ve 
given me if I forgot,” said Hadyn. 

“It wouldn’t make one bit of difference 
whether I had given you that name or not, 
you couldn’t be different. 

“Thank you. But where are you going 
now ?” 

“Nowhere in particular. Amy is away 


2i6 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


and Connie up to her eyes in the month’s 
accounts. So I’m adrift.” 

“How would you like to come for a walk 
in the woods with me ? I am not going back 
to the office this afternoon, for the fever is on 
me. The call of the woods gets into my 
blood sometimes, and then I’ve got to tramp. 
Only trouble is, I can’t always get a tramp- 
ing companion. Will you come?” 

“I’d love to, but I must let mother know, 
she might worry.” 

“She won’t, because she knows I meant to 
ask you to go with me if I could find you.” 

They struck into a side road, which pres- 
ently became a mere wood path leading up 
the mountain, and from which a little higher 
up an exquisite picture of the river and oppo- 
site mountains could be seen. Hadyn, paus- 
ing at a broad, flat rock, said : 

“Let’s sit down and enjoy all this. Come, 
sit beside me, little sister.” 

Jean dropped down upon the lichen-cov- 


IN THE SPRINGTIDE 


217 


ered rock, warm and dry in the afternoon 
sunshine which fell upon it, and said: 

“Isn’t it beautiful? Isn’t all the world 
beautiful? Why need anybody or anything 
in it ever die, and why will other people make 
them. Oh, Champion, if I only hadn’t made 
Baltie !” and quick tears sprung into her eyes. 
During the two weeks since Baltie’s death 
Jean had actually lost flesh and grown pale 
in her sorrow and remorse for what she be- 
lieved to be purely the result of her want of 
thought. 

Hadyn put his hand on hers and, looking 
into her eyes, asked: 

“Little sister, do you know how that hurts 
me? It was not your want of forethought 
that night, but my faithlessness which car- 
ried you out into that terrible storm, and I 
shall never, never forgive myself. You 
might have been the victim instead of old 
Baltie, but as it is his life paid the penalty of 
my lapse. True, he was very old and might 
not have lived a great deal longer, but his 


2i8 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


end certainly would not have been hastened, 
or your loving heart grieving as it now is 
had I done my duty. Can you ever forgive 
me, dear?” 

As Haydn talked a swift change swept 
over Jean’s expressive face; a new light 
sprung into her eyes, and she said : 

“Why, Champion, I never for one single 
second blamed you. Did you think I did? 
Oh, you couldn’t think that, not when you 
know how dearly I love you and how good 
you’ve always been to Baltie and me. Why, 
you saved his life, you know, and have 
always helped me look out for him; and 
you’ve done hundreds and hundreds of 
things for us both. Please, please never say 
that again. You didn’t know I was going to 
signal that night.” 

“Ah, but I did know it, and it was only 
upon that condition that Constance con- 
sented to go upstairs to bed. She thought 
she could trust me to answer that signal, but 
you see she couldn’t, and all this is the re- 


IN THE SPRINGTIDE 


219 


suit. You are grieving for your pet until 
you are almost ill from it, and I feel like — 
like, oh, like the most contemptible thing 
that ever happened. What can I do to help, 
little one? It hurts me to see you or yours 
unhappy.” 

“I shall not be unhappy,” was Jean’s in- 
stant assertion. “I do miss Baltie terribly, 
for I loved him, and — and he seemed so 
much mine, and was so good and faithful — ” 
here a little sob checked her words. Hadyn 
slipped his arms about her, and she leaned 
her head upon his shoulder. This big 
“brother” was a great source of strength and 
comfort to her. Then she resumed: “But 
I shall not let it make you unhappy, too. I 
dare say I am silly — the girls laugh at me and 
say I am, but I can’t help it — ^when I love 
anybody, or anything, I love them, and that’s 
all there is about it. Baltie knew me better 
than he knew anyone else, and loved me bet- 
ter. No one knows or believes how he un- 
derstood me, or I him, and it is no use try- 


220 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


ing to make them ; but I feel as if some part 
of me had gone without having him to love 
and visit and pet every day, and have him 
snuggle up to me. I wish horses could have 
monuments raised to their memory, and 
some record kept of their good deeds and 
faithfulness for people to read. My good- 
ness, more good things could be said of Bal- 
tie this minute, and they’d be true, too, than 
can be said of that dreadful old Jabe Rauls- 
bury; and yet when he died last year they 
put up a tombstone for him the very first 
thing, and what do you think they had in- 
scribed on it?” 

“I’m sure I don’t know,” and Hadyn 
smiled at the thought of any commendatory 
legend being placed upon the monument of 
the irritable Jabe, whose life had been one 
long series of quarrels with his neighbors, 
brutality to the dumb creatures which had 
lucklessly fallen into his hands, and whose 
last act had been to fly into a wild rage and 
beat his wife. Fortunately, it had been his 


IN THE SPRINGTIDE 


221 


last transgression, for a neighbor, hearing 
her screams, had rushed to her aid, and Jabe, 
hearing his approach, and starting to escape 
by a back door, had pitched headlong 
through an open trap-door and into his cel- 
lar. Several broken bones and some internal 
injuries brought him his just desserts of four 
months’ torture, ending in his death, and 
the town drew a sigh of relief. Then his 
widow erected a monument to his memory. 
It bore this memorial to the deceased Jabe: 

“A loving husband, tender brother. 

Never shall we find another,” 

which in the first statement was open to 
doubt, and in the second, the Ned Rauls- 
bury, who had not had the pleasure of fra- 
ternal intercourse with his brother Jabe for 
many years, unless a ten years’ la-wsuit to se- 
cure his own share of the estate represented 
it, probably congratulated himself that he 
was not likely to “find another.” 


222 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


Jean repeated the legend with infinite 
scorn, and Hadyn laughed outright. Then 
growing serious again, he said: 

“Perhaps a better record of Jabe’s true 
character is preserved in his neighbors’ 
memory of him, and I should think that Mrs. 
Raulsbury might now draw her first free 
breath. It is true that a man’s death can 
sometimes bring oblivion of his evil deeds. 
Poor old Baltic might have told a few of 
Jabe’s, but even had he possessed human 
speech I doubt if he would have so employed 
it. Baltic was a gentleman. And, Little 
Sister, as a gentleman he must have a monu- 
ment. Yes, I mean it. A shaft shall mark 
the old horse’s resting-place down there in 
the garden, and I shall have it erected; it is 
the least I can do under the circumstances. 
Don’t say anything about it to anyone. 
What would you like inscribed on it, dear?” 

As Hadyn talked in his deep, softly-mod- 
ulated voice, Jean’s face grew radiant. At 
his concluding question she clasped his 


IN THE SPRINGTIDE 


223 


hand in both of hers and pressed her lips to 
it again and again, exclaiming: 

“No one but you would ever have under- 
stood! No, not anyone. You have ahvays 
understood; right from the very first day I 
knew you. Baltie would never have been 
saved on that awful day, or ever have been 
mine at all, if it hadn’t been for you. Cham- 
pion, and oh, how hard, hard, hard I love you 
for it. Please don’t ever go away from us; 
I couldn’t live without you now; none of us 
could; you’ll be just one of us always, won’t 
you. Champion?” 

Jean was too deeply in earnest to be aware 
that Hadyn’s face was flushing, or of the 
strange expression creeping into his eyes: 
a light of wonderful tenderness and yearn- 
ing. He looked steadily into the eyes regard- 
ing him so earnestly as he said: 

“Little Sister, do you realize that your 
home is the only real home I have known in 
many years? That when you and Eleanor 
and Constance agreed to share with me ‘a 


224 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


part of Mother,’ as you so sweetly expressed 
it, you made me your debtor forever and 
ever? Can you understand how very dear 
that little Mother of yours is to me, or how 
much her daughters’ welcome into their 
home has done to spare me a great many 
lonely hours? True, there are many friends 
in the outer world, but that house was once 
my Mother’s home, you know, and all my 
boyhood was spent in it. To go back to it 
under almost any conditions would seem 
almost like entering my own doors, but to be 
welcomed to it as I have been makes it — 
well, some day you may understand just what 
it does make it, little girl. And now I want 
to tell you something else: You miss old 
Baltie, I know, and nothing can ever quite 
fill his place for you, but your heart is big, 
true and warm enough to hold another, isn’t 
it? For sometimes I have been dissatisfied 
with the care given Comet down in that 
South Riveredge boarding stable. They are 
careless in grooming him, and someone, I 


IN THE SPRINGTIDE 


225 


can’t find out which man, is not treating him 
kindly. Comet never knew the meaning of 
a harsh or impatient word until he went 
there, never feared a blow ” 

“Strike Comet!” cried Jean, all her sense 
of justice outraged. 

“Not exactly strike him, I think, but there 
are many ways of making a high-strung, 
thoroughbred horse’s life a torture. A sud- 
den slap when grooming him, a shout if he 
does not step around briskly, or even a 
blow on his muzzle with the curry-comb. 
They may not inflict any great amount of 
pain, but they soon get on his nerves, and 
the next thing we know we have a horse 
that starts and plunges at the first sharp 
word; jerks his head up if anyone raises a 
hand toward it; shrinks at the sight of a 
curry-comb as from an instrument of tor- 
ture. Comet never before manifested any 
of those signs, but now I’m beginning to 
notice them, and I don’t like it a little bit. 
I wouldn’t have that horse ruined for ten 

15 


226 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


times his price in dollars, and so I’m going 
to see what I can do to place him where 
all chance of it will be removed.” 

“Where, where are you going to send 
him?” cried Jean, clasping her hands in her 
eagerness. 

“How would you like to have him come 
and live down yonder with you?” asked 
Hadyn, nodding toward Jean’s home, which 
could be seen from their woodland nook. 

“In our stable: Comet? To be there all 
the time so I could get out to see him every 
single day, and he’d get to love me just 
as Baltie did? Do you really mean it? 
Could I?” 

“I think Comet will meet your advances 
more than half way. He has been treated 
like a child since his colthood, and you know 
how he understands me. I’ve had a long 
talk with the little mother, and she has 
agreed to let me keep Comet down there, and 
my man Parsons is to take care of him, to 
sleep in the coachman’s room upstairs and 


IN THE SPRINGTIDE 


227 


board with Mammy. You know most of his 
color find ‘just naturally doing nothing’ 
quite to their liking ; but Parsons seems to be 
of different clay, so we will make him happy 
by keeping him busy. Good plan all around, 
don’t you think so ?” 

“I think you are just the splendidest, 
dearest man that ever lived, and Comet shall 
have the best care in all the world, and if any 
living being so much as points a finger at 
him I’ll — I’ll — well, I just tell you, they’d 
better not! Now, let’s go right back home 
and tell Connie all about it. You know she 
loves Comet as much as you or I love him, 
and she’ll be tickled to death to have him 
right there,” and Jean bounded to her feet 
all enthusiasm, her eyes shining and cheeks 
glowing, for something to love and care for 
was absolutely essential to Jean’s happiness. 

And so it came to pass that about a week 
later Comet was installed in the Carruth 
stable, and if ever a horse came into an 


228 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


earthly paradise, Comet came into one in 
this new home. 

Jean was in a rapture, and truly no horse- 
lover could fail to fall complete victim to 
Comet’s charms. It was the balm needed for 
Jean’s sorrow for Baltie, and when, in the 
course of the following weeks, a granite 
shaft was placed over Baltie’s grave, the lit- 
tle girl was as happy as she well could be. 

The shaft bore the legend: 

TO BALTIE. 

For Thirty Years a Faithful Friend and 
Servitor. 

Perhaps in some more blissful realm 

Your eyes will beam on us again, 

And we shall find that great and small, 

God is the father of us all. 


CHAPTER XV. 


Mammy Makes a Discovery. 

June had come, and with June came Elean- 
or’s graduation. During her various holidays 
Eleanor had returned to Riveredge, and with 
each return of Eleanor there was vigorous 
renewal of visits from Homer Forbes. Forbes 
seemed deeply occupied in the intervals, and 
those most interested in the progress of affairs 
at the Irving School wondered at his long ab- 
sence during the afternoons and his frequent 
walks up the mountain to a plateau at its sum- 
mit. More than once had some of the pupils 
of the Irving School met him as he strolled 
along toward it, head bent in deepest medita- 
tion, hat drawn down over his eyes, hands 
clasped behind him, and “munchin’, munchin’, 
munchin’, fer all de spi’t an’ image ob a goat,” 
said Mammy, who frequently came upon him 
as he passed through the Arcade, for he never 
(229) 


230 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


set forth upon his rambles without fortifying 
himself with a box of Constance’s candies. 

Since the fall Jean had not journeyed to the 
Irving School with her candies, so the sweet- 
tooth Forbes was obliged to go after his 
sweeties or do without them. But it did not 
seem to inconvenience him. The Arcade lay 
upon his way, and nothing short of dynamite 
was ever likely to hurry him. He would buy 
his box of chocolates and start off, leaving be- 
hind him a little trail of the paraffin papers 
in which they had been wrapped, and by which 
anyone so minded might have followed him 
miles. Sometimes, if he had absent-mindedly 
forgotten to eat any luncheon, he would sup- 
plement his box of candies with some of Mam- 
my’s sandwiches, and it was upon one of these 
occasions that his call at Mammy’s counter led 
to a curious disclosure. 

With the warm spring weather Charles’ 
health improved steadily; but Mammy had no 
idea of risking a repetition of her recent ex- 
periences by permitting Charles to take need- 


MAMMY MAKES A DISCOVERY 231 


less risks. On dull days or damp ones Charles 
must bide at home in his cottage, or do little 
indoor jobs for his mistress. True, Hadyn’s 
man left very little for the old man to do, for 
Hadyn had been very careful to tell Parsons 
that Mrs. Carruth must not want for any ser- 
vice he could render her, and at the same time 
tactfully spare old Charles’ feelings. And 
Parsons was a clever young negro, as well as 
a devoted one to Hadyn. 

And it so fell out that Mammy went down 
to the Arcade rather oftener than usual that 
spring, and consequently saw many things. 
Among others was the frequency with which 
Mr. Elijah Sniffins haunted Arch Number One. 

Now, Mammy had absolutely no use for Mr. 
Elijah Sniffins, as may be remembered. Of 
course, she conceded him the right to purchase 
all the candy he wished; but why should he 
dawdle over his selection, and then tarry to 
talk with Miss Boggs until the girl seemed 
almost panic stricken? As near as Mammy 
could discover, she wished him anywhere but 


232 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


in Arch Number One, and one Saturday morn- 
ing Mammy took it upon herself to keep a 
sharp lookout. Several times during the morn- 
ing she made excuses to go down to the counter 
for boxes of candy for some of her own cus- 
tomers, and twice found Sniffins there engaged 
in a very confidential conversation with Miss 
Boggs. Upon her approach he made most im- 
pressive bows to the young lady, and departed 
with slow insolence. 

“ Tears lak dat man powerful set ’pon dese 
hyer candies,” remarked Mammy. 

“Yes, I g^ess he does like them pretty well,” 
answered Miss Boggs. 

“You know him quite a spell back?” was 
Mammy’s next question. 

“Oh, yes, for some time,” was the hasty an- 
swer. “Did you want some more of those 
pralines. Mammy?” and Miss Boggs fluttered 
nervously among the boxes in the case, bending 
low to avoid Mammy’s sharp eyes. As Mam- 
my stood talking Homer Forbes came strolling 
up to the candy counter. 


MAMMY MAKES A DISCOVERY 233 


“Good-morning, Mammy Blairsdale. As 
usual, you have a watchful eye upon Miss 
Constance’s interests, I see.” 

“Mor’in’, Marsa Fo’bes. Yas, sir. Dat’s 
what ma eyes were done give me fo’, an’ dey 
ain’t often playin’ me no tricks, neider. Dey’s 
good, sharp eyes, if dey is ol’ ones,” was Mam- 
my’s sibyl-like answer. 

“You proved that fact to me many months 
ago,” said Forbes, with one of his whimsical, 
inscrutable smiles. “I should hate to have a 
guilty conscience and have you cast your eyes 
upon me. I’d give myself away as sure as 
shooting. I’d be sure you’d read my secret 
if I had one. Lucky I haven’t !” 

“Yas, sir, ’tis. Mos’ culled folks has de 
gif’ ob secon’ sight, dey say. I ain’t rightly 
know what secon’ sight is mase’f, but I knows 
dis much p’intedly : I knows dat dey ain’t many 
folks what kin fool me fer long. Dey like 
’nough fool me a little while, but I ketches dem 
sooner or later. Yas, sah, I does. Yo’ gwine 
for one ob yo’ strolls terday? ’Pears lak yo’ 


234 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


powerful taken wid dat mountain walk, yo’ go 
’long up dat a-way so f’equently. Better stop 
ter ma lunch counter an’ git a snack ter take 
’long wid yo’.” 

How innocent the words, yet what a strange 
effect they produced upon Miss Boggs. Forbes 
did not notice it at all, but Mammy missed 
nothing. 

“Good idea. I’ll be along presently,” said 
Forbes, as he selected his box of chocolates, 
and reached into the pocket of his trousers for 
the change, rather abstractedly staring at Miss 
Boggs as he did so. The girl seemed greatly 
disconcerted by the look, though, as a matter 
of fact, Forbes himself was barely aware of her 
presence. It was not lost upon Mammy, who 
had given one swift, backward glance as she 
turned to go down the Arcade. A moment 
later Forbes reached her counter. 

“Give me a good snack to-day. Mammy 
Blairsdale. I’ve much on my mind these days, 
and must keep the brain well fed.” 

“Reckons yo’ll find dat wholesome-lak,” re- 


MAMMY MAKES A DISCOVERY 235 

turned Mammy, handing him a neat little 
j)ackage. 

“What’s the damage?” he asked. 

“None ’tall lessen yo’ drap it, er sits on it. 
If yo’ does dat it’ll squash.” 

“Nonsense! How much?” 

“Ain’t I say nothin’, sah? — wid de comple- 
ments ob de firm,” was Mammy’s grandilo- 
quent answer. Then, coming closer, she asked : 

“Massa Fo’bes, I wonner if yo’ kin he’p me 
wid somepin what’s pesterin’ ma min’ might- 
ily?” 

“I’ll help you if I can. Mammy Blairsdale. 
What is it?” 

“Kin yo’ tell me who dat girl down yonder 
is?” 

“Which girl ?” asked Forbes, turning to look 
down the corridor. 

“None yo’ kin see. I means de one dat’s 
yonder at Miss Constance’s counter.” 

“Oh, that one? Why, she is a Miss Boggs, 
isn’t she?” 

“No, she ain’t,” contradicted Mammy, em- 


236 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


phatically. “She may call herse’f Miss Boggs 
if she wanter, but I’ll bait yo’ she ain’t Miss 
Boggs no mo’n I’m Miss Brown ! I’se* seen 
dat girl somewhar’s else befo’, an’ I’se gwine 
ter fin’ more ’bout her dan I knows now. She 
favors someone else I knows, an’ I ain’t got er 
mite er use fer dat someone else, neider. Is 
yo’ know Mr. ’Lijer Sniffins?” 

“The Fire Insurance Agent down on State 
Street ?” 

“Yas, sir, dat’s him I means.” 

“Yes, by sight, and enough to have him in- 
sure the few worldly goods I possess.” 

“He’s at dat counter de hull Endurin’ time, 
’specially when he git a notion Miss Constance 
gwine come down, and he’n dat girl jes’ as 
thick as thieves.” 

“He and Miss Constance?” cried Forbes, 
aghast. 

“Gawd bress ma soul, no, sir. I means dat 
Miss Boggs; an’ what I wants ter fin’ out is 
what fo’ he got any call ter jist na’chelly live 
dar.” 


MAMMY MAKES A DISCOVERY 237 


"Maybe it’s a charming romance right under 
your very eyes, Mammy Blairsdale. Surely 
you do not wish to play the kill-joy?” 

"Kill-joy! Huh!” retorted Mammy. "I 
ain’t gwine be no fool, neider. I tells yo’ I 
never is like dat man, an’ if he’s takin’ ter 
pesterin’ dat girl he gotter quit; an’ if ’tain’t 
de girl it’s some other divilmint he got in his 
haid. I ain’ trus’ him no furder’n I kin see 
his shadder ; no, I ain’.” 

"Has he been there when Miss Constance 
was at the counter?” 

"If he ain’t bin dar, he bin whar he kin watch 
her ’thout her s’pici’nin’ it. Time’n agin I’se 
done seen him up in dat men’s furnishin’ Arch, 
Number Six, pertendin’ lak he buyin’ neckties 
an’ all kynds ob furnmadiddles. Reckon he 
do buy a heap, too, for he jes’ splurgin’ fer fair 
dese days.” 

"Dare say he is trying to make a good im- 
pression upon the lady of his heart,” laughed 
Forbes. 

"D’ssay he tryin’ fer ter mak’ a ’pression on 


238 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


someone else, an’ he better quit if he knows 
what’s good fer him. Now, what dat girl 
scuttlin’ down yonder fer ?” was her quick ex- 
clamation. Over Forbes’ shoulder she had 
caught sight of Miss Boggs hurrying down the 
corridor, ostensibly toward the lavatory. 

“Candy makes her fingers sticky. Mammy 
Blairsdale,” was Forbes’ half-idle comment as 
he turned to look over his shoulder in the di- 
rection of Mammy’s glance. At that very in- 
stant Miss Boggs’ profile was distinctly out- 
lined against the white marble wall behind her, 
and, strange coincidence, Elijah Sniffins, turn- 
ing suddenly around the corner, came face to 
face with her. For a brief second each face 
was distinctly outlined, then the man and girl 
passed their opposite ways. 

But in that instant Forbes had received an 
impression swift as an electric shock. When 
he turned to look at Mammy, she remarked : 

“Reckons yo’ ain’t so near-sighted as dem 
glasses ’ceivin’ folks inter believin’, sah.” 

“Where does Sniffins live. Mammy?” 


MAMMY MAKES A DISCOVERY 239 

“Don’ know no mo’n de daid,” scoffed 
Mammy. 

“Where does Miss Boggs live ?” 

“Bress de Lawd !” exclaimed the old woman, 
apparently apropos of nothing. 

“Guess I’ll cut out the stroll up Mount Par- 
nassus and look after my insurance. I’m 
afraid I ought to renew that premium pretty 
soon. Good-bye, Mammy Blairsdale. I’ll see 
you later.” 

“Good-bye, sah! Yas, sah, reckon yo’ had 
better see me later.” 

With his package of luncheon and box of 
candies, and, as usual, leaving a trail of par- 
affin papers behind him, Forbes strolled out 
of the Arcade, incidentally noting that Sniffins 
was selecting cigars at the counter next Mam- 
my’s. Once he was beyond the portals of the 
Arcade, his accustomed deliberation of air and 
manner fell from him, and with a muttered 
“I’ll learn what is back of all that or jump 
overboard” he sped along toward State Street 


240 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

at a rate which would have startled his friends 
had any chanced to meet him. 

No one but the office boy was in Sniffins’ 
office. 

“Where’s Mr. Sniffins?” demanded Forbes. 

“Dunno.” 

“When will he be back?” 

“Dunno.” 

“What in thunder do you know, then ?” 

“Nothin’.” 

“Right you are, son!” and turning Forbes 
pretended to leave the office. Suddenly paus- 
ing, he whirled around to say: 

“Give me Sniffins’ home address; I’ll ’phone 
to him there this evening.” It was a venture, 
but worth while. 

“Six-twenty Westbank Road.” 

“Thanks. Good-day.” 

“Day,” and the boy returned to the fascina- 
tions of “Tom, the Cow-puncher.” 

Then Forbes went his way up the mountains, 
having accomplished his object much quicker 
than he had hoped to. Had anyone been 


MAMMY MAKES A DISCOVERY 241 


watching him, once he reached the summit, 
they might have questioned his sanity. De- 
liberately placing his candy box and his lunch- 
eon upon a stump, he began pacing off dis- 
tances: twenty long strides toward the river, 
then twenty at right-angles, pausing to peer 
toward the mighty stream flowing six hundred 
feet below him, for the cliffs were precipitous 
at that point. 

“Good site. Magnificent view. Constant in- 
spiration. Bound to succeed. Purely classi- 
cal. This will emphasize the illusion. But 
it must not prove an illusion ; no, not for a mo- 
ment. It will be a beautiful reality — a crys- 
tallized dream. We will set up our Lares and 
Penates in its very center — ahem ! I mean — I 
mean — well I’ll try to persuade her to set hers 
up beside mine. Wonderful girl! extraordin- 
ary, very! Fell in with my idea at once — at 
least thought the plan — what was it she pro- 
nounced it? Ah, I recall, ‘truly altruistic.’ 
Truly altruistic. Yes, that was it. Excellent 

choice of words. Invariably apt and to the 
16 


242 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


point. Yes, the building shall face this way. 
Her window — ^my Lord!” and the monologue 
came to an abrupt end as the speaker, turn- 
ing a vivid scarlet, made a grab for his edi- 
bles, and, seating himself upon a warm rock, 
began to devour his luncheon with the dis- 
patch of the animal Mammy insisted he re- 
sembled. The sun was sinking into the West 
when Forbes came strolling up to Mrs. Car- 
ruth’s piazza, where the family had gathered 
for their afternoon tea which old Charles was 
serving. It was the delight of Charles’ heart 
to serve this little repast. 

This time it was iced tea and lemonade, with 
some of Mammy’s flaky jumbles and a box of 
Constance’s candy. That piazza was an in- 
viting spot. Hammocks, lounging chairs and 
bamboo settees made it more than luxurious, 
and the family spent all the time possible in this 
corner, which seemed to catch every passing 
breeze from the river. 

They rose to welcome their guest and offer 
him refreshment. It was Eleanor who first 


MAMMY MAKES A DISCOVERY 243 


reached him, and it was beside Eleanor he 
ensconced himself upon one of the pillow- 
laden settees. 

“Where on earth have you been, you tramp ?” 
asked Hadyn where he swayed idly back and 
forth in a hammock, Jean nestling beside him, 
Jean was never ten feet from Hadyn if she 
could help it. His arm encircled her, and her 
head rested against his shoulder as she watched 
Forbes. Jean was growing into a very beau- 
tiful young girl, though still a child at heart. 
“A thin slip of a girl like a new morn” exactly 
described her. Though Jean was not thin. 
She was simply lithe and supple. 

“Just on one of my strolls up the mountain. 
Great old mountain! Fine view up there! 
Wonderful place for a residence!” replied 
Forbes, devouring jumbles at an alarming rate 
and quenching his thirst with glass after glass 
of lemonade. 

“Great if you have an idea of perfecting an 
aeroplane. Personally, I’d not relish rambling 
up there twice daily, and at present the trail 


244 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

leaves something to be desired for vehicles 
which navigate upon this mundane sphere,” 
laughed Hadyn. 

“How do you know that Mr. Forbes hasn’t 
already invented an air-ship ?” asked Constance. 
“I hear he goes up there very often, and he 
may have ways and means of which we are 
ignorant.” 

“Only Shank’s mare,” answered Forbes, 
stretching out a pair of long, dusty legs. 
“Jove! I am a sight. I didn’t know I was so 
disreputable. Beg your pardon, Mrs. Carruth, 
for intruding upon you like this. Truth is, 
I hurried down that trail like an avalanche, for 
I’d spent more time at Mammy’s counter than 
usual. By the way. Miss Constance, Mammy 
asked me to look up an address for her. Will 
you please give it to her for me?” 

“Certainly.” 

“Tell her it is 620 Westbank Road.” 

“Six-twenty Westbank Road!” repeated 
Constance, in a surprised voice. “Why, that 
is Katherine Boggs’ address, and I am almost 


MAMMY MAKES A DISCOVERY 245 


sure that Mammy knows it. Why did she ask 
for Katherine’s address, I wonder?” 

“Don’t know, I’m sure, for Mammy’s ways 
and wishes are beyond the ken of the average 
mortal,” laughed Forbes, as he rose to take 
leave. As he was about to descend the steps 
he turned to Eleanor. 

“By the way, if you haven’t anything special 
on hand for to-morrow afternoon, won’t you 
come for a stroll with me?” he asked. 

“Now, don’t you do it, Eleanor,” broke in 
Hadyn. “He means to drag you clear to the 
top of that mountain, and these July days are 
over-warm for violent exertion. Can’t you 
see, Forbes, that the very thought of it is mak- 
ing her cheeks flush ?” 

“Here, eat another jumble, quick I” cried 
Constance, catching up the plate and rushing 
to the hammock. 

Eleanor and Forbes had sauntered off down 
the terrace. Hadyn took a jumble, and with a 
laugh crowded the whole cake into his mouth, 
his eyes dancing with mischief. 


246 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

At that moment Mammy popped her head 
out upon the piazza to ask : 

‘Ts yo’ chillen all got ’nough jumbles?” 

“One of them has more than he can man- 
age,” was Constance’s merry reply. “Look at 
him, Mammy. It was the only way I could 
close his mouth when he was inclined to say 
more than was wise.” 

“Don’ believe dat, nohow. Marse Hadyn 
ain’ never is ter say wha’ he no b’isness ter,” 
asserted Mammy. 

“Hah ! I’ve one champion, anyway,” choked 
Hadyn. 

“Two,” corrected Jean. 

“Oh, Mammy,” called Constance after the 
retreating figure. “Mr. Forbes says the ad- 
dress you wanted is 620 Westbank Road.” 

“Huh? Wha’ yo’ say?” cried Mammy, 
whirling about and coming out upon the piazza 
again, her face a study. 

“Yes, Miss Boggs’ address. Mammy. Why 
did you ask Mr. Forbes about it ? I could have 
given it to you, you know.” 


MAMMY MAKES A DISCOVERY 247 


“My Lawd !” was Mammy’s brief retort, and, 
turning as quickly as she had come, she hurried 
indoors once more. 

“I shall never understand Mammy if I live 
to be a hundred years,” said Constance. “I 
often believe I’ve solved her riddle, then presto ! 
here comes a new phase.” 

“Leave her alone, Constance. Don’t try to 
solve it. Just take her as she is, and make sure 
that her ‘chillen^ come first in her thoughts,” 
said Hadyn. “But, by the by, will you come 
for a ride to-morrow afternoon?” 


“Gladly.^ 


CHAPTER XVI. 


Mammy a Sherlock Holmes. 

During the following week Independence 
Day was celebrated, and such had become 
the fame of both Mammy’s luncheons and 
Constance’s candies, that these two busy 
women found every moment filled more than 
full. 

Each had reason to remember another 
July Fourth, and Mary Willing most reason 
of all. The Mary Willing of this year bore 
little resemblance to the Mary Willing of 
that one, and a happier girl it would have 
been hard to find. Fanny was now staying 
with Mary, sharing with her the pretty little 
room in Mrs. Carruth’s home, and had quite 
won her way into Mrs. Carruth’s heart by 
her sweet, gentle ways. 

During the spring poor, shiftless Jim Wil- 
(248) 


MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES 249 


ling had taken himself and his family out 
West, thanks to Hadyn’s influence in secur- 
ing for him a position upon a large farm in 
Minnesota, where he was not only compelled 
to work, but where also, thanks to Hadyn, 
he could not loaf and drink, for the man 
whom he served was not be be trifled with. 
In May the family had emigrated, to the in- 
tense satisfaction of those most deeply in- 
terested in Mary and Fanny, and the bound- 
less relief of their neighbors. 

In the course of the week which followed 
her suspicions concerning Katherine Boggs, 
Mammy began to lay her plans, and, as 
usual,^ with her accustomed shrewdness. 
She did not wish Constance to suspect her 
interference, but she was fully resolved to 
get to the bottom of the matter. Mammy 
had already formed her opinion, and Mam- 
my was not often wrong. Fate seemed to 
favor her, for one morning, when she hap- 
pened to be at her counter, Elijah Sniffins 
entered the Arcade, and going to the cigar 


250 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


stand bought a , cigar, which he lighted and 
began to smoke. He then strolled down 
toward the candy counter. It was a warm, 
sultry day, with scarcely a breath stirring. 
The window giving upon the street in the 
Arch was open, as was the door leading 
from Constance’s little office, to a short hall 
communicating with the side street. From 
her counter Mammy watched Sniffins until 
he entered the candy Arch, and then slipping 
out of the rear door of the Arcade made her 
way around the block and entered Con- 
stance’s office by the side door. 

For greater protection Constance had 
hung China silk curtains across the grill- 
work, which divided her office from the coun- 
ter, but these, while affording her perfect 
seclusion, did not cut off the sound of a cus- 
tomer’s footfalls. 

Under ordinary circumstances. Mammy 
would have scorned to resort to such meas- 
ures to obtain her end, but she felt pretty 
sure that her Miss Constance was being 


MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES 251 


tricked for some purpose, and felt herself 
justified in fighting fire with fire. 

With exeeptional wisdom for her years 
Constance had arranged with Charles and 
Mammy a little code of signals on the elec- 
tric buttons beside her desk and under the 
counter in her Arch. The signals had 
served to good purpose, as has already been 
shown, for old Charles had come most op- 
portunely when needed one morning. The 
code was simple : One ring meant, “Are you 
there?”; two, “Come to my counter”; three, 
“Please ’phone up to Mr. Porter that Miss 
Carruth needs him at once.” This last call 
was clearly an emergeney eall and had never 
been put to the test; but both Mammy and 
Charles, as well as the young eolored boy 
who served at Mammy’s counter, knew that 
it must not be disregarded for one instant if 
it did come. Constance never knew why she 
had added it to the simple little code, for 
she certainly never anticipated any special 
need for it. Still, it was a comfort to the 


252 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


young girl to feel that, should anything 
serious occur, she could instantly turn to 
Mr. Porter. 

Mammy entered the office unheard by the 
two people in the Arch, the rumble of ve- 
hicles in the street drowning all sound of her 
footfalls. Sniffins was standing at the coun- 
ter in earnest conversation with Miss Boggs. 
Presently Mammy overheard these words: 

“Lige, I can't! I just can’t any longer. 
She’s too lovely to me.” 

“Ah, shut up that stuff. What does she 
do for you, anyway ! Nothin’ mor’n anybody 
else would, an’ she gets enough out o’ you 
for seven dollars a week. Gosh, she’s makin’ 
seventy if she’s makin’ a cent. Here, lemme 
see that last memorandum of sales made.” 

“I haven’t got it here,” was the low-spoken 
reply. 

“Then where have you got it? I want it, 
do you understand.” 

“I don’t see why you want it. I don’t see 
what good it does you, anyway, to know how 


MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES 253 

much candy is sold here,” was the querulous 
answer, 

“Ah, what do you know, anyway? You 
never did have enough sense to go in out of 
the rain. I know what I want it for. When 
I’m sure this business is makin’ the right- 
sized pile, I’m goin’ — well, never mind what 
I’m going to do. But what I want you to do 
right now is to strike for ten dollars a week 
— see? You’ve been here six months on 
seven dollars, an’ that’s long and plenty. 
Now we’re going to have more of the 
profits.” 

Katherine merely shook her head stub- 
bornly, 

“Does that mean that you won’t?” asked 
Lige, in an ugly tone. 

“Yes, it does.” 

“All right, all right. Then you can dust 
your sweet self out of 620 mighty quick. No 
happy home for you of my puttin’ up unless 
you do as I say. Miss Prude. Now where’s 
that memorandum I want?” 


254 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

As he spoke Lige made a move as though 
he intended to go behind the counter. Poor, 
simple little Katherine ! She had never been 
intended to play a double game. 

At that moment Mammy pressed the but- 
ton four times. Here Avas a situation need- 
ing a firmer hand than hers. A moment 
later the boy at Mammy’s Arch was ’phon- 
ing up to Mr. Porter’s office. 

“Please, sir, I just got four rings from 
Miss Carruth’s candy Arch, and Mrs. Blairs- 
dale, she say if ever I git that, I must call you 
up right smart, and ask you please to go 
there, ’cause Miss Constance ain’t never_ 
goin’ to ring four rings unless she need you 
quick.” 

“Pll be there inside of two minutes, Fred,” 
and the receiver was snapped back. 

“Get away, Lige; are you crazy?” cried 
Katherine, under her breath, at the same 
time foolishly making a dash for her pocket- 
book which lay upon a shelf behind her. As 
she clasped it Lige caught her wrist in a grip 


MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES 255 


which made her cry aloud in pain. At that 
moment Mr. Porter entered the Arch. Lige 
dropped Katherine’s arm and made a dash 
for Constance’s sanctum, but Mammy had 
anticipated all this ; she had shut and locked 
the door leading to the side street. 

“Mebby yo’ t’ink mos’ eve’ybody as big a 
fool as yo’ is, Mr. Sniffins, but yo’ see dey’s 
some wise an’ hones’ ones yit, don’ yo’? 
Now, sah, yo’ set yo’sef right spang down 
on dat ar’ cheer t’will I ax yo’ a few ques- 
’ions, wha’ Massa Po’tah gwine hyar, an’ 
dat po’ li’l fool out yonder gwine ’splain ef 
we sesso. Yas, Massa Po’tah, I’se runnin’ 
t’ings just now, an’, please, sah, keep yo’ eye 
on dat skunk, fo’ I tells yo’ he ain’t nothin’ 
in de roun’ worl’ else. Now, Miss Sniffins, 
yo’ please, ma’am, come on hyar, too, fo’ yo’s 
needed p’intedly.” 

In spite of the serious side of the question, 
Mr. Porter could not help smiling at Mam- 
my’s generalship. Sniffins stood in the mid- 
dle of the room, glowering like a trapped 


256 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


animal, and Katherine entered it trembling 
like a leaf. Notwithstanding her righteous 
wrath, Mammy could not help pitying the 
shrinking little figure, and, placing a chair 
for her, she said kindly: 

“Dar, dar, chile, don’ yo’ git so pannicky. 
Nobody ain’ gwine kill yo’ whilst Massa 
Po’tah an’ me close by, dough. Gawd knows 
wha’ dat low-down sumpin’-nurrer lak ter do 
if he git a chance; I ain’ speculatin’.” 

“Mammy, what is the meaning of all 
this?” interrupted Mr. Porter at this junc- 
ture. 

“Dat’s jist ’xactly what I don’ sent fo’ yo’ 
fer ter fin’ out, sah. Dere’s been some sort 
of debbilmint gwine on hyar fer a right 
smart while, an’ I’se made it ma b’isness fer 
ter git scent of it an’ trail it, I has. Dat ar’ — 
dat ar’, my Gawd ! I spec’s I goiter call him a 
man kase dar don’ seem to be no yether 
name fo’ him, but he’s at de bottom ob it, an’ 
wha’ fo’ he is, is jist what I means fer ter 
fin’ out befo’ I lets him outer dis hyar office. 


MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES 257 


Now, sah, Massa Po’tah, yo’ kin hab de 
bench an’ question de prisoner.” 

Porter had seen enough upon entering the 
Arch to make him realize that Mammy had 
pretty good grounds for her words and the 
rage which seemed to almost consume her. 
Ordinarily Mammy’s face was wonderfully 
serene, but Mammy Was a pure-blooded 
African negro, born of an African slave cap- 
tured and brought to the United States when 
the slave trade was a flourishing and dis- 
graceful source of revenue, and Mammy was 
born not long after her mother’s capture. 
In moments of excitement all her racial 
characteristics dominated to a degree that 
transformed her. At the present moment 
Jhere was a fierce conflict between heredity 
and tradition, and the environment and 
training of a lifetime. 

“Mammy, tell me what took place before I 
came upon the scene,” said Mr. Porter. “I 
mean within the last half hour, not before.” 

Mammy repeated all she had seen and 

17 


258 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


heard. As she talked Mr. Porter rang the 
janitor’s bell. When the man appeared he 
said to him: “Get Terry and wait with him 
out in the main corridor. Do it quickly, and 
don’t make a fuss.” Terry was the house 
detective. 

“Now, Sniffins, sit down and explain what 
I saw as I entered the Arch. There is some- 
thing wrong here, and I’ve got to get to the 
bottom of it right off. It will be useless to 
beat about the bush now. Mammy has seen 
and heard enough to make things very dis- 
agreeable for you, I fancy, and certainly I’ve 
seen pleasanter spectacles than your conduct 
with Miss Boggs as I entered ” 

“She ain’ Miss Boggs no mo’n I is,” 
broke in Mammy. 

Sniffins would not answer. Mr. Porter 
turned to the trembling little figure at the 
opposite side of the room, real pity in his 
kind eyes. Sniffins glowered at her. Catch- 
ing the look, Mr. Porter turned upon him 
like lightning. 


MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES 259 


“If you try to intimidate that child, by the 
great Jehosaphat I’ll either give myself the 
satisfaction of thrashing you, or turning 
you over to Terry on an accusation you’ll 
not like. Now quit it! You haven’t a thing 
in the world to fear. Miss Boggs; I guess it 
is all far less grave than it seems to you this 
minute. So tell me the whole truth.” 

Mr. Porter’s voice had changed rapidly 
from the severe tones directed toward Snif- 
fins, and now held only encouragement for 
the terrified girl. After a few spasmodic 
sobs she faced him and said: 

“No, Mr. Porter, I shall not try to keep 
up this deceit any longer. I told Lige when 
I began it that it would be useless. I’m- not 
the kind of girl who can do such things ; I’m 
not smart enough.” 

“Reckons yo’s too smart fer ter try ter be 
what he is,” broke in Mammy. Mr. Porter 
held up his hand to enjoin silence, but if 
Mammy consented to keep her tongue still, 
she could still wag her head and use her 
eyes, and to some purpose. 


26 o three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


“My name isn’t Boggs, but Sniffins ” 

“What I done tole yo’!” exploded Mammy. 

“Lige is my brother. He wanted me to 
take the situation. At first I did not know 
why he was so anxious for me to. I thought 
it was just because he wanted me to have one 
which he believed might lead to something 
a good deal better later on, because Miss 
Carruth’s candy business was growing fast, 
and I might get to be a forewoman, or some- 
thing like that. You see, I used to know 
Mary Willing at school, and she and Fanny 
are both doing so well, but ” and Kath- 

erine hesitated. 

“Go on, Miss Sniffins,” said Mr. Porter, 
encouragingly; bitt the look Elijah Sniffins 
gave his sister was not pleasant. 

“Well, he just made me take this place, 
and wouldn’t let me tell my real name; and 
I’ve been scared nearly to death every day 
of my life for fear Mary Willing would come 
down here, and that would be the end of it 
all. But tha'v wasn’t the worst; pretty soon 


MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES 261 


I guessed just why Lige wanted me here, 
and — and-— oh, it seemed as though I just 
couldn’t stand it another minute; I was so 
ashamed. Miss Carruth is so kind to me, 
and has always been.” 

“And the true reason?” interrogated Mr. 
Porter. 

“Oh, I can’t tell it,” cried the girl, turning 
scarlet and burying her face in her hands. 

“It will be better to do so here than to do 
so elsewhere, will it not? I am determined to 
get to the bottom of all this, now that I have 
begun, and much prefer to keep it quiet for 
the sake of all concerned. I think I already 
guess more than you realize. I shall ask 
a few questions to make it easier for you?” 

“She ain’t got to answer none if she don’t 
want ter,” was Elijah’s surly remark. 

“Will you kindly keep quiet until your in- 
formation is desired?” said Mr. Porter, 
quietly. “Your brother wished you to have 
this situation for two reasons, I take it: 
The first for the income and prospective ad- 


262 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


vancement; the second because it brought 
you in close touch with Miss Carruth and 
might prove a wedge for his social aspira- 
tions, which I hear are ambitious.” 

The girl nodded assent. 

“You objected to the deceit practiced and 
rebelled. Was that the cause of his anger 
^d gross rudeness as I entered?” 

“Partly.” 

“And the rest?” 

“He made me keep strict account of the 
sales and profits and give him a memoran- 
dum each week,” whispered Katherine. 

“Indeed. And to what end?” 

“He said — he said, he’d make up his mind 
that he would get to know and would marry 
Miss Carruth if the business got to be — to be 
■ — a big one ” 

“My Gawd a-mighty!” cried Mammy, fly- 
ing out of the chair upon the edge of which 
she had been sitting, her old face the picture 
of consternation and amazement. It was 
not surprising that Sniffins sprung from his 


MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES 263 


simultaneously and made toward the door, 
for Mammy certainly was wrath and retri- 
bution incarnate. 

Mr. Porter barred the way of one and said 
sternly : “Mammy, sit down !” 

“But — but — but — Massa Po’tah, is yo’ 
hyar wha’ dat man a-sayin’ ? Is yo’ ? He — 
he marry ma Miss Jinny’s daughter? Why, 
he ain’, he ain’ fitten fer ter bresh her shoes ! 
Lemme jes’ lay ma bans on him an’ frazzle 
him out.” 

Mammy was nearly beside herself with in- 
dignation. 

“Mammy, do you wish to remain here and 
hear the rest of this ridiculous story, or must 
I have Sniffins and his sister taken up to my 
office ? It is too public here for loud talking, 
and if you wish to save your little girl deep 
mortification, and her mother the keenest 
distress, you will control yourself. This is 
the greatest folly I could have believed any 
sane being capable of, but if it gets noised 
abroad it will soon grow into a scandal, as 


264 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


you must realize. Remember this, every one 
present, Miss Carruth must never learn one 
word about it if we can keep it from her. 
Now, go on. Miss Sniflfins, and tell all the 
rest of this wretched folly and, yes, down- 
right rascality, for your brother has placed 
himself in a very unenviable position.” 

“You can’t prove nothin’,” protested Sniffins. 

“Prove anything! Man, are you alto- 
gether a fool? Intimidating your sister into 
masquerading under an assumed name, to 
say nothing of handing over a private mem- 
oranda of another person’s business affairs, 
and, by the way, Miss Sniffins, I’ll take charge 
of that last memorandum, if you please,” said 
Mr. Porter, extending his hand toward 
Katherine. 

“No, I’m hanged if you do,” blustered 
Sniffins, springing toward her. 

With a grip like iron Mr. Porter forced 
him back upon his chair. Katherine handed 
him a slip of paper from her purse. 

“Thank you. Now, Sniffins, I’ve just a 


MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES 265 


few concluding words to say to you, but you 
will do well to heed them: In the first place, 
you have made an ass of yourself pure and 
simple. In the second, you are pretty close 
to being something far worse. You have 
done some queer things lately, and tried 
some very questionable tricks down there on 
State Street, as you know even better than 
I do, although, as I hinted to you some time 
ago, I know enough, and a heap more than 
you suspect. I don’t want to make trouble 
for you, or any other man just beginning his 
career, but I won’t stand for rascality. Now 
here is your chance and you have no choice 
but to take it: You give your sister no 
choice, remember, and now it’s your turn to 
eat a little of your own loaf. Ask to be 
transferred to some other office — the further 
away the better.” 

“Ah — what sort of a game are you puttin’ 
up?” snarled Sniffins. 

“It is you, not I, who have put up the 
game, and since you’ve begun it you may as 


266 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


well make up your mind to play it out. Yoii 
can easily get transferred, and that is just 
what you’ve got to do. This place has 
grown too warm for you in a good many 
ways. Your mother is fairly well-to-do, and 
your sister has this situation.” 

“But I can’t keep it! I can’t!” lamented 
Katherine. 

“You must. Once your brother is away 
you have nothing to apprehend.” 

“But my name! What will Miss Carruth 
think?” deplored Katherine. 

“Will you leave that to me?” asked Mr. 
Porter, real compassion in his voice and face 
for this unhappy little victim of an unscru- 
pulous will. 

“I want to stay, oh, I do want to, for Miss 
Carruth is always so lovely to me.” 

“You’s gwine fer ter stay, too,” announced 
Mammy, autocratically, hastily going to 
Katherine’s side to soothe and pat as she 
would have consoled a distressed child. 


MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES 267 

“Oh, Mammy, Mammy, she won’t let me 
stay,” sobbed the contrite little soul. 

“How she gwine know anything ’bout dese 
hyer doin’s?” demanded Mammy. 

“I don’t see how she can help it.” 

“Well, den, I does.” 

“Keep your situation. Miss Sniffins, and 
also keep quiet. I shall tell Miss Constance 
that you gave the assumed name because 
you feared she might feel some prejudice 
against engaging you if she learned you were 
Mr. Sniffins’ sister; I am sure that is a pretty 
valid reason, for she has every reason to 
wish to avoid him ; he has never figured pleas- 
antly in her affairs. And now I think we 
have had enough of all this. But remember 
this, Sniffins : I mean exactly what I have 
said, and South Riveredge is no place for 
your future business operations. You have 
come pretty near making a serious mess of 
things for yourself and everyone connected 
with you, and a halt has been called. Move 
on,_ and take a word of advice from a busi- 


268 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


ness man of double your years — move straight 
hereafter. Now go.” 

Sniffins left the office by the side door, which 
Mammy unlocked and held open with this 
parting shot : 

“Ain’ I done told yo’ long time ergo dat 
some day niggers gwine fer ter hoi’ open de 
do’ fo’ yo’ stid of yo’ fo’ demf” 

Mammy had never forgotten or forgiven 
the experience of her first visit to Elijah 
Sniffins’ office, and she was settling an old 
score. Then, turning to Katherine, she 
asked: 

“Wha yo’ gwine spen’ de nex’ few days, 
honey? I would’n aim fer ter go home ef I 
was yo’.” 

“I shall stay with a friend here in South 
Riveredge. I believe Lige would half kill 
me if I went home, he’s so awful mad.” 

“Dat’s right, yo’ keep ’way f’om dat man.” 

“Yes, it is wiser. Miss Sniffins. Don’t 
worry, all will come out right in the end ; he 
had just lost his head — that’s all. Now 


MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES 269 


mind what I say, both of you; Not one word 
of all this anywhere else. I wouldn’t have 
all this folly come to that little girl’s ears 
for all I’m worth. It’s almost incredible that 
anyone could act like such a fool. Paugh! 
it makes me ill. I feel as though some loath- 
some beast had drawn near that little girl of 
ours,” and with a quick “good-day” Mr. 
Porter turned and strode from the office, out 
through the Arch and into the main corridor, 
where the janitor and Terry stood quietly 
talking together. They glanced up as he 
drew near. 

“Oh, Donnely,” he said to the janitor, 
“just take a look at that faucet in Arch Num- 
ber One, will you? It’s leaking a little; and 
Terry, if you’ll come up to my office with me 
you can get those papers now as well as any 
time.” A word, a smile to those in the other 
Arches, and not a thought was given by any- 
one to what might have been a very unpleas- 
ant episode in Constance Carruth’s career. 


CHAPTER XVIL 
Cupid in Spectacles. 

If Constance had any suspicion that a most 
unusual scene had taken place in Arch Num- 
ber One, she gave no sign of it. 

Within a few days after that occurrence Mr. 
Porter ’phoned down to her counter one morn- 
ing, and asked her if she could come up to his 
office before she returned to her home, giving 
as a reason his wish to talk over some plans he 
had in mind for the Arch. She went up imme- 
diately, and as simply as possible he told her of 
Katherine Sniffins’ unfortunate deception, her 
reason for taking the position under an as- 
sumed name, and her distress and remorse for 
having practiced such a deceit. He did his 
best to spare Katherine and to convince Con^ 
stance that her only reason for such deceit had 
been her eagerness to secure the position, and 
her fear that she could not do so if Constance 
knew her to be Elijah Sniffins’ sister. 

(270) 


CUPID IN SPECTACLES 


271 


At first Constance was strongly inclined to 
resent it all, and to sever relations with the 
victim of Elijah Sniffin’s scheming, but grad- 
ually, as Mr. Porter talked, her sense of jus- 
tice prevailed, and her resentment changed to 
pity, and with that the day was won. 

Perhaps Mr. Porter’s casually dropped re- 
mark regarding Mr. Elijah Sniffins’ sudden 
departure from South Riveredge to take charge 
of one of the company’s offices in the far West, 
and the added information that he would not 
return to his former home, was the final straw 
which turned the balance in Katherine’s favor. 
Constance was a generous-hearted girl, to 
whom petty resentment was impossible. And 
so that chapter in the lives of the girls, so ut- 
terly unlike in character, was closed, and Con- 
stance never knew what an exceedingly un- 
pleasant one it might have been for her but for 
Mammy’s ceaseless vigilance and Mr. Porter’s 
wisdom. For a few days, it is true, she was 
somewhat disturbed, and it needed all her self- 
control and dignity to help her through the 


272 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


half-hour’s talk with Katherine, but once that 
ordeal was over she dismissed it all forever, 
and was the same sweet, gracious little em- 
ployer whom Katherine had always known. 
If Katherine had admired her before, she 
openly adored her now, and confided to Mary 
Willing, whom she met not long after, that 
she “didn’t know there could be girls like Con- 
stance Carruth,” and forthwith eulogized her 
until, had Constance heard it, she might have 
been forgiven if she had begun to feel around 
her own shoulder blades for sprouting wings. 

Mary let her talk on, secretly rejoicing in 
every word spoken in praise of her idol, then 
with a most superior “why — anybody — could 
—have — told — ^you — that” air, she said: 

“It’s all very well, I dare say, for people to 
work like everything to reform girls who have 
actualy done wrong and are in disgrace, but 
from my standpoint, if a few more people 
would do the things Mrs. Carruth and Miss 
Constance are doing as a matter of course 
every day of their lives, there wouldn’t be so 


CUPID IN SPECTACLES 


273 


many girls in need of reforming, because they 
would be helped to have a little common sense 
and an idea of the fitness of things before they 
went too far. Everybody knows what a silly 
little fool I used to be whenever a man came 
near me, and Ed be one yet if it hadn’t been 
for those blessed people; but I tell you they 
made me sit up and take notice, and they did 
it so beautifully, and with so much love and 
sweet fellowship thrown in, that I’d die to-mor- 
row if it could save just one hair of their dear 
heads. You may think I’m just talking for 
effect, but I’m not. I mean every single word 
I say, and if you ever get to know them as 
Fanny and I do, you will feel exactly the same 
way, you see if you don’t.” 

“I do already, though I can’t talk as you 
do,” answered Katherine, simply. 

“They have helped me that way, too,” added 
Mary. “My goodness, how I used to talk and 
what awful words I used before I knew them ! 
But they teach you without letting you ever 

guess they are teaching, and you learn because 
t8 


274 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


you can’t help it. Good-bye. Come down 
and see me some time.” 

“Can I come to see you down there ?” 

“Why not? The little sitting-room up over 
the candy kitchen is just like our own. Miss 
Constance told me to invite any of my girl 
friends to visit me whenever I wished to, and 
we have lovely times up there evenings when 
the work is done. Sometimes Mrs. Carruth 
or Miss Constance come out to sit with us a 
little while. They always say they have come 
out to welcome their guests, because Fanny’s 
guests and mine are theirs, too. Isn’t that a 
sweet way of putting it? We know, though, 
that they do it because they want our friends 
to feel at home, and there hasn’t been a single 
evening when they haven’t sent Mammy up 
with some cake, or lemonade, or something 
nice, and I can always take a pound of candy 
if I want to. Oh, there’s no place in all the 
world like the ‘Bee-hive,’ I tell you!” And, 
with a happy smile, Mary went upon her way. 

Not long after this something else came up 


CUPID IN SPECTACLES 


275 


that filled the Carruth household with subject 
for thought. 

Before leaving college, Eleanor had been 
offered a position in a girls’ school. The 
school was one widely known, and prepared a 
great many pupils for Eleanor’s alma mater. 
She had been highly recommended by its fac- 
ulty, and had fully decided to accept the po- 
sition. All that remained to complete the ar- 
rangements was her final acceptance above her 
own signature and that of the school’s prin- 
cipal. This she was on the point of settling 
when she returned to Riveredge, then a trifle 
changed her decision. However, Forbes came 
home with her, and on the way she told him 
of her plans. 

He listened with great interest, although 
without comment, meanwhile gazing abstract- 
edly out of the Pullman car window until 
Eleanor began to wonder if he heard one word 
she said, and, if the truth must be confessed, 
'was not a little piqued at his seeming uncon- 
cern in her projects. 


276 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


As usual, when thinking deeply, he munched 
away upon something. This time it happened 
to be a long spiral of paper he had absently 
torn from a magazine and twisted into a lamp- 
lighter, and Eleanor found herself subcon- 
sciously wondering how much of it would dis- 
appear before he recovered his wits and spoke. 

About four inches of it had vanished, and, 
had Mammy been present, her theory of the 
goat would surely have been substantiated, 
when he gave his paper fodder a toss, and, 
turning toward her, said : 

“Don’t sign that contract until you get home 
and have thought it over a week. Then if you 
do sign it, do so for six months — one term — 
only.” 

“But,” interrupted Eleanor, “that seems to 
me a most improvident step, for right in the 
dead of the winter it would leave me with- 
out occupation or the prospect of any.” 

“No, it wouldn’t, either. Do you think I 
would suggest such a step if I didn’t have 
something up my sleeve for you a mighty 


CUPID IN SPECTACLES 


277 


sight better — er, ahem! I mean if I hadn’t 
been on the lookout for something desirable 
— or, or, at least, something I feel you would 
consider.” 

“What is it?” was Eleanor’s very natural 
and direct question. 

“Eh? Ah, well, er — a little enterprise, a 
scheme, a — er — What' station is this we’re 
drawing into?” and this discussion was side- 
tracked instantly, leaving Eleanor to wonder 
if Forbes had lost his senses. 

She had been home a little more than a 
week when he asked her to take a walk with 
him, and had led her a wild scramble to the 
top of the mountain to the plateau hereto- 
fore mentioned, where he unfolded a plan 
which caused Eleanor to collapse upon a 
nearby rock and sit looking at him in a be- 
wildered manner. Again and again during 
the ensuing weeks had they toiled up the 
mountain, and each time had returned 
grimy, gratified and garrulous, heads nod- 
ding, hands gesticulating and oblivious of 


278 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

iife 

any other human being on top of the round 
world. 

Mrs. Carruth watched developments with 
resignation; Constance with open amuse- 
ment ; Mammy with a division between toler- 
ance and contempt — the saving grace in the 
cause being that Forbes could remotely claim 
kinship with the Blairsdales. But it was 
upon Jean that the effect was the funniest. 
Jean had spent all her life with people older 
than herself. There had been no little chil- 
dren in her home, and her interests had nat- 
urally centered upon her older sisters and 
around their affairs. She had a wise little 
head upon her fourteen-year-old shoulders, 
and older people would have been somewhat 
surprised could they have known the “long, 
long thoughts” which passed through it. 
More than once had she seen Forbes and 
Eleanor start off and toil up the mountain, 
and more than once had she been an unob- 
served follower. She never followed close 
enough to overhear their conversation; that 


CUPID IN SPECTACLES 


279 


would have been contrary to her sense of 
honor. Still, she was determined to know 
where they went, and, if her eyes could in- 
form her, why they went, and her deductions 
came nearer the mark than the two would 
have believed possible. 

And so had passed the summer days, and 
now September was at hand, and in a very 
short time Eleanor would start for Forest 
Lodge — the school in which she had accepted 
a position for six months — not longer. Forbes’ 
influence had prevailed. 

Early one morning the ’phone rang. 
Eleanor was wanted. 

“I know what it is,” cried Jean, who hap- 
pened to be near it and turned to receive the 
message: “It’s Mr. Forbes, and he wants 
Eleanor to play Pilgrim’s Progress with him 
again. I’ll bet a cookie.” The funny one- 
sided conversation began only to be inter- 
rupted by Jean, who exclaimed: 

“What makes you think you’re talking to 
Eleanor? Are our voices so alike as all that? 


28 o three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


Hold the wire while I call her, and don’t 
waste all those nice speeches on me,” and 
with a chuckle Jean turned to call Eleanor. 

That afternoon Forbes called for Eleanor, 
and just as they were about to start upon 
their pilgrimage Jean came tearing out upon 
the piazza with two gorgeously colored 
laundry bags, rose-flowered and highly dec- 
orative, which she plumped down upon the 
piazza. 

"Jean!” expostulated Mrs. Carruth. "What 
in this world?” 

"Well, I don’t see any sense in playing a 
game unless you have the ‘impurtenances,’ 
as Mammy calls them: it must seem sort of 
half played. So I’ve filled these bags full of 
newspapers, and if you’ll each sling one over 
your shoulders you’ll be sure enough ‘pil- 
grims,’ and goodness knows you climb up 
that mountain often enough to give ‘Pil- 
grim’s Progress’ to the life!” 

Then Jean fled, and so did Eleanor and 
Forbes. 


CUPID IN SPECTACLES 


281 


Panting and hot, in the course of time they 
reached the summit of the mountain and the 
plateau, every square foot of which should 
have been known to them by this time. 
Seating themselves upon the log, which had 
done duty many times before, Forbes at once 
began to unroll a great blueprint which he 
held at arm’s length, and said: 

“Now, I can show you the tangible evidence 
of my dreams. You see the plan is this:” 

But, alack! the best-drawn plans, etc., and 
this plan was printed upon the stiffest of 
architect’s paper, and had been rolled tightly 
for several days: Forbes’ fingers were a 
trifle shaky for some reason ; one edge of the 
outspread roll slipped from them and quick 
as a flash coiled up upon itself, sweeping his 
glasses from his nose and hurling them ten 
feet away, where they crashed upon a rock 
and shivered to atoms. 

Now, if anyone reading this is solely and 
entirely dependent upon a pair of glasses to 
see anything ten inches beyond her own nose. 


282 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


she will understand how Forbes felt at that 
particular moment — maybe. 

They bounded to their feet and inanely 
rushed for the wrecked glasses, knowing per- 
fectly well that only bits of scattered crystal 
lay upon that merciless rock. Eleanor 
dropped upon her knees and began franti- 
cally to gather up the fragments, Forbes tow- 
ering above her and blinking like an owl 
which has suddenly been routed out of a hol- 
low tree into the glaring sunshine. , A frag- 
ment, about two-thirds, of the lense of the 
right eye still held to the nose-clip. Eleanor 
pounced upon this, crying : 

“Ah, here is a little piece, a very little 
piece ! Do you think you can see with that ? 
See just a little, little bit? Enough to look 
over the plans? Fll read the specifications to 
you. Fll do anything, anything to help you, 
I feel so terribly sorry. Let me be your eyes 
for just a little while, for I know how disap- 
pointed you must be,” and there was almost 


CUPID IN SPECTACLES 


283 


a sob in her voice as she rose to her feet and 
held the hopeless bit of eyeglass toward him. 

He took it, deliberately opened the patent 
clip and as deliberately snapped it upon his 
nose, Eleanor watching him as though 
worlds trembled in the balance. 

If half a loaf is better than no bread, I dare 
say two-thirds of an eyeglass are better than 
no eyeglass at all; and who in such a vital 
moment would have dared hint that Forbes 
looked slightly batty as he cocked one eye at 
the lady before him? Certainly not the lady, 
who was the very picture of Dolores at that 
instant. Then Forbes came to the front 
splendidly. Indeed, he came with a rush and 
a promptitude which no one could have fore- 
seen; he made one step forward, and the next 
instant held the lady in his arms, as his words 
poured deliciously into the ear so near his 
lips: 

“My eyes! My eyes! You shall be my 
eyes, my ears, my soul! — ^yes, my very body 
and boots. No! no! I don’t mean that! Oh, 


284 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


hang it all, what made me say that foolish 
thing? I mean you are my eyes and my very 
soul! Without your inspiration my very 
mind would be a blank. With you the 
dreams of my life will be crystallized into 
beautiful realities. Never, never shall I let 
you leave me! Never depart from your 
home until this one we have pictured and 
planned stands ready to receive you within 
its walls, to be its cherished, adored light ; its 
inner shrine, at which I shall be the chief 
worshipper, my goddess of sweetness, light 
and intellect! My inspiration to ideals be- 
yond man’s conception. 

But let us draw down that thick fir bough 
as a curtain. 

Off yonder, upon a moss-covered stone, 
sat a little figure, hugging his knees and 
swaying backward and forward in an aban- 
donment of hilarious mirth. At his feet lay 
a bow, beside him an empty quiver. On his 
wee nose the wreck of a pair of thick-lensed 
eyeglasses. 



'“You Are My Eyes And My Very Soul!'’ 











CHAPTER XVIII. 

Harvest Time, 

The September days were exceptionally 
warm ones, but no one seemed to mind them 
because the evenings were cool. The two 
pilgrims continued their progress, advanc- 
ing rapidly and in such a rosy atmosphere 
that the millennium seemed close at hand. 
Whatever Homer Forbes’ plans were, and as 
yet only he and Eleanor seemed to know 
much about them, they evidently met the en- 
tire approval of the lady in the question, for 
she threw herself into the process of perfect- 
ing them with an ardor that nearly drove her 
family frantic. No matter where they 
turned, they found plans and specifications 
lying about, and Eleanor’s room resembled 
an architect’s drafting-office. Not long after 
that walk up the mountain there had been a 
closeted hour’s talk with Mrs. Carruth, and 
.(285). 


286 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


when Homer Forbes came out of the library 
at the end of it he was in such a perturbed 
state of mind that he nearly fell over Mammy 
as he rushed through the hall, out of the 
front door and across the piazza, to vanish 
down the road and leave the family staring 
after him ; at least, that portion of the family 
which happened to be seated there. Hard 
upon his heels followed Mammy, crying : 

"Gawd bress ma soul! what Miss Jinny 
done ter dat man? Tears lak he gone plum 
loony.” Then, turning to Mrs. Carruth, who 
followed not far behind. Mammy continued: 
"Miss Jinny, is dat man gone cl’ar crazy?” 

Mrs. Carruth smiled as she replied: 

"They sometimes call it ‘a very mid-sum- 
mer madness,’ Mammy, but mid-summer has 
passed, hasn’t it ? It’s not dangerous, how- 
ever. You would better go upstairs and ask 
Miss Nornie. I am sure she can tell you 
more about Mr. Forbes than I can. At all 
events, she has decided to let him guide her 
through life* so she must have an abiding 


HARVEST TIME 


287 


faith in him, and I have told him he may do 
so if she wishes it. By the spring you will 
have to climb to the top of Mt. Parnassus if 
you wish to see your Miss Nornie, I think.” 

“Whar dat place at?” demanded Mammy, 
while Hadyn gave a low whistle, and Con- 
stance cried, “What did I tell you, Mumsey?” 
as Jean jumped up and down in her excitement. 

“You had better go upstairs and ask Miss 
Nornie, Mammy,” and straightway Mammy 
whirled about and started upstairs to Elea- 
nor’s room, where she found her buried neck- 
deep in a pile of drafting papers, triangles, 
compasses and pencils; though just what she 
was drawing plans for Mammy could not 
guess. When questioned of late Eleanor had 
given negative, abstracted replies which 
more than once nearly convulsed her hearers, 
and upon one occasion she had brought con- 
sternation upon the family by emptying a 
brimming washbowl of water into her scrap- 
basket instead of her slop-jar. Evidently the 
scrap-basket had figured more prominently 


288 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


in her thoughts of late than had her wash- 
bowl. 

As Mammy appeared at the door Eleanor 
was bending over a great blueprint plan 
which she had spread upon the floor. It was 
a tremendous affair, fully two by four feet, 
and Eleanor was down upon her knees, 
hands outspread and locks flying, too ab- 
sorbed to be aware of Mammy’s presence. 

"Peripatos, peristyle penetralia,” mur- 
mured the engrossed one, tracing with a 
slender forefinger the lines upon her plan, 
then repeating, “Penetralia, penetralia. How 
interesting.” 

“What in de name o’ man is you jabberin’ 
about, anyway. Miss Nornie?” 

Eleanor came to an upright position with 
a start, crying; 

“Goodness, Mammy, how you startled 
me!” 

“Yo’ better Ea3 git up f’om dat floor ’stid o’ 
bendin’ ober dat sky-blue sheet o’ paper what 
done look lak it got Chinee writin’ an’ 


HARVEST TIME 


289 


drawin’ on it. Yo’ face make out de res’ ob 
de colors fer de hull ’Merican flag: red, white 
an’ blue alltergedder. ’Taint no kynd ob a 
day fer ter be bendin’ ober lak yo’ is. Nex’ 
t’ing yo’ know yo’ gwine git rush o’ blood 
ter de haid, an’ dat’s bad, I tells yo’! Wha’ 
yo’ gwine do wid all dat blue stuff,, any way? 
Yo’ ain’ tell me one single t’ing ’bout it, an’ 
I ain’ know wha’ ’tis. An’ I wants fer ter 
know, too, if yo’ gwine be home ter lunch 
ter day.” Mammy’s sharp eye scrutinized 
the rosy face before her. 

“O, you needn’t bother about me. Mammy. 
Mr. Forbes will be over shortly and we are 
going for a tramp.” 

“Tromp! tromp!” echoed Mammy. “Tromp 
on sich a hot day as dis hyar wid de fer- 
mom’ter jist nachelly climbin’ cl’ar out er 
sight? Is you done gone silly, yo’ an’ dat 
Perfesser Fo’bes? Yo’ stay ter home in dis 
cool house what I done darken up fer ter 
keep out de sizzlin’, billin’ heat lak ter scoch 
de very skin off yo’ body. Don’ yo’ let dat 

19 


290 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


man drag yo’ up dat mountain on sich a day, 
I tells yo’.” 

“Oh, we don’t mind it, and the woods are 
so cool. Just put up one of your delicious 
little luncheons for us, and we’ll be more 
than supplied.” 

“Cool in de woods ! Yis, when yo’ gits to 
em, but yo’s got right smart ter walk fo’ yo’ 
comes ter dem, an’ I ain’ pinin’ fer no sich 
’xertion on such a frazzlin’-out day. But I 
reckons I jist better save ma’ bref dan spend 
it a-talkin’. Yo’ lunch gwine be ready fo’ yo’ 
when yo’ reddy fo’ it ; but what I wants .ter 
know now is, what all dat meanin’,” and 
Mammy pointed again to the big blueprint. 

Eleanor was not given to emotion, but 
there comes times in every life when one’s 
emotions are more easily played upon than 
at others. The past week had held such mo- 
ments for Eleanor. Of all Mammy’s chil- 
dren Eleanor had been the least demonstra- 
tive. She rarely caressed the old woman as 
Constance and Jean did. Now, however, she 


HARVEST TIME 


291 


bounded to her feet and, rushing to Mammy, 
cried : 

“Oh, Mammy! Mammy! Do you believe 
in dreams ? Don’t you think they come true 
sometimes?” 

“A heap o’ times !” interjected Mammy. 

Eleanor sighed ecstatically. I knew you 
would say so. Mammy. “And ours will, won’t 
it?” 

“Who ‘ours?’” demanded Mammy, her 
lips pursed up, and distrust in her eyes. 

“Homer’s and mine! Homer! Isn’t that 
a name to inspire one? Fate must have or- 
dained that he should bear such a name. 
Only a classic poet’s could be in harmony. 
It must be the purest, the best, the finest, the 
most perfect,” rhapsodized Eleanor. 

Mammy looked at her a little anxiously, 
and asked : 

“Isn’t yo’ better lay down on dat baid yon- 
der? Yo’s been a bendin’ ober dose papers 
twell yo’ haid’s achin’, I’se feered.” 

.. “Ah, no, Mammy, but think of it! To 


292 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


live in a Grecian dwelling ! A perfect repro- 
duction of an Athenian temple. With the 
fountain of Hippocrene in it’s center, from 
which a rill will flow murmuring all the day. 
Helicon’s harmonious stream. We shall call 
it Helicon Hall, and there we shall train the 
youthful mind to a deep appreciation of true 
beauty. In the central court, overroofed 
with glass and filled with tropical plants, will 
be our hearth stone, our altar, on either side 
of which will stand our lares and penates. 
Could any other mind have conceived this 
wonderful dream in this prosaic age? See, 
see our plans. Mammy? How clear, how 
concise, how graphic. Ah, I can picture it 
all— all.” 

“Well den I cyant!” cried Mammy, losing 
patience, “and I don’ reckon yo’ Ma nor none 
ob de yethers kin. At any rate, I got sumpin 
else ter do ’sides standin’ hyar listenin’ at 
what I sets down as jist foolishness; an’ ef 
I was yo’ Ma I’d tell yo’ not ter go a-climbin’ 
up dat mountain no mo’ twell de wedder done 


HARVEST TIME 


293 


cool off some,” and with this admonition 
Mammy left the dreamer to her dreams. But 
before we take leave of her for all time, we 
will add, by the way, that in the course of 
time this dream crystallized into a large 
building, in the form of the Parthenon, 
wherein this modern Socrates, Professor 
Homer Forbes, and a charming Hypatia, his 
wife, led the minds of affluent youths, whose 
parents were willing to indulge them in such 
luxuries, along paths of learning literally 
flower-strewn. Reclining at length upon the 
green sward of the court of Helicon Hill, 
they drank in the words of wisdom falling 
from the lips of their preceptors. Eleanor 
had achieved her ideals : Homer Forbes his. 
What more could mortals ask ? 

And the lares and penates? Well, Jean 
was rather practical. Those old Greek fire- 
side gods might be all very well in their way, 
but Greece had seen her day. In the present 
one there was a quaint little grinning “god of 
things, as they ought to be,” to which Jean 


294 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


pinned greater faith ; and when, one beautiful 
April day, Homer Forbes and his bride re- 
turned from their wedding journey, and en- 
tered the inner court of Helicon Hall, where 
the (let us hope) sacred fire burned upon the 
hearth, the first thing upon which Eleanor’s 
eyes rested in these classic surroundings was 
“Billykin,” perched above the blazing logs. 

And in the interval between that warm 
September day and the lighting of that 
hearth by loving hands for the home-coming 
of the idealists? Ah, life holds some sweet 
moments, and this old world is not such a bad 
one, after all. 

October had come again, and the world 
was beautiful in its golden haze. With 
Eleanor’s engagement to Homer Forbes, and 
her complete absorbtion in her semi-god, 
who nad changed her plans so completely, 
her future so entirely, Eleanor plunged head- 
long into consummating his dream., so far as 
in her power lay. This left Constance largely 


HARVEST TIME 


295 


to herself and her own plans. All had gone 
well with her, and, with the beginning of the 
social season in Riveredge and elsewhere, 
Constance’s business grew very brisk. She 
was kept busy from morning to evening. It 
was a wonderfully happy life for her. To be 
the chief support of her family, to give to her 
mother the thousand little luxuries she had 
known in earlier life, to give to Jean every 
possible advantage, both educational and 
social, and still have time to enjoy life at its 
heyday herself — ^why — surely, no more could 
be asked. 

Mary and Fanny Willing were as happy 
and content as two girls well could be, and 
worked and sang from dawn to twilight. With 
the autumn even more help became necessary 
to keep abreast of the orders; and, through 
Hadyn, Constance secured the services of a 
man in whom Hadyn was deeply interested. 
He had known him in college days, but days 
of adversity had overtaken him, and for two 
years he had seemed to be the very toy of an 


296 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

adverse fate. In that interval his family had 
slipped into the Great Beyond, and the small 
nest-egg- left him had been s-wept from him 
by the failure of the company in -which it -was 
invested, thro-wing Edward DeLaney upon 
his own resources. 

Upon Hadyn’s advice he was engaged by 
Constance as bookkeeper and a sort of gen- 
eral superintendent, dividing his time be- 
tween the Candy Kitchen, the Arcade, and the 
other booths, which, in the course of time had 
been establised elsewhere. He was only 
twenty-three, but an able, manly fellow, 
quick-witted and resourceful. He took firm 
hold of affairs instantly, and, during the 
course of the ensuing winter, Constance 
more than once thanked the lucky star 
which had guided this tall, clear-eyed, finely- 
set-up six-foot laddie to her Candy Kitchen. 
No one could look into those fine, hazel eyes 
without trusting them instantly, nor see the 
lines of that resolute, yet tender mouth with- 
out reading the man’s character. His skin 


HARVEST TIME 


297 


was as fair and as dear as a child’s, and his 
smile as winning. He speedily found his way 
into the home circle, and just the degree of 
happiness it brought to him few guessed. 

But this is dipping into the future by several 
months. At present we are in October’s 
golden glow. 

“What a day!” cried Hadyn, as he and 
Constance came out upon the piazza one 
beautiful afternoon when luncheon was over. 

“Isn’t it simply heavenly ? It seems to me 
we never have such days excepting during 
October. Look at the coloring over on that 
mountain and on our own hills. It is per- 
fectly intoxicating. It makes me feel like 
doing something out of the usual order, and 
yet I ought to go out yonder to the Candy 
Kitchen and lend a hand with the thousand 
and one things to be attended to. I tell you, 
Hadyn Stuyvesant, I am rapidly becoming 
a power in the commercial world,” laughed 
Constance. 

“You are a greater power already than 


298 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


you guess. Before you know it that business 
will have grown beyond its boundaries again, 
and even greater expansion will be necessary. 
But just now let’s ‘forget it,’ and go for a 
ride up that glorious mountain. I’ll ’phone 
down to Pringle’s for Lightfoot, and we’ll 
have an afternoon fit for the gods.” 

“Done! I’m only human, and the call of 
the woods on such a day as this drowns the 
call of duty. But I hate to take Comet from 
you ; you seem so much a part of each other.” 

“Since he came to live here he has become 
a part of you all, and more nearly human 
than ever. Jean has seen to that. How that 
child loves animals ! I’ve a little scheme in 
the back part of my head which I mean shall 
take tangible form when her next birthday 
comes around.” 

“Oh, what is it?” cried Constance, for every- 
thing concerning Jean held the keenest in- 
terest for her. 

“Tell you after we’ve had our ride. I’m 
off now for my togs. See you inside half an 


HARVEST TIME 


299 


hour. Tell Parsons to saddle Comet for 
you,” and with a wave of his hand Hadyn 
hurried away to get into his riding clothes. 
An hour later they rode away from the 
house, as bonny a pair as eyes could rest 
upon, and upon which one pair did rest with 
the love and devotion one often sees in the 
eyes of a dog; Mammy raised her apron, 
wiped a tear from her lids, and said softly to 
herself: 

“Bern’s ma chillen. Yis, jist ma own God- 
blessedest ones what ever is live! Him, too. 
Miss Nornie kin tek up wid dat Perfesser man 
ef she wanter, but gimme dat one ridin’ ’way 
yonder. He’s de very cream ob all creation, 
an’ he gwine be mighty good ter ma baby, 
too. I ain’t need no secon’ sight fer ter read 
dat writin’. An’ he gwine fin’ out what a 
pearl o’ price he gettin’, too, dough I reckons 
he got some notion o’ dat a’reddy. An’ he 
gwine git somepin’ he ain’ countin’ ’pon a 
mite, an’ would be clar ’hove countin’ ’pon 
anyhow; he gwine git a wife wha’ got her 


300 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


Own nes’aig. Charles an’ me ain’ run dat ar’ 
lunch counter all dis time jist fer fun an’ de 
reppitation it done give us; no, sir-ee! We 
done put ’side ’nough fer ter give each o’ ole 
Massa’s gran’chillen dey dots, as dose French 
folks calls it. Yis, we is, an’ I’s proud ob it, 
too. It’s de onlies’ way we kin eber show em 
dat dey’s ours, an’ we’s deirs. Mebbe Massa 
Stuyvesant got a-plenty, an’ mebbe Massa 
Fo’bes is got, too, a-plenty fer ’em bofe — I 
dunno — but I knows dis much: A ’omans a 
mighty sight mo’ self-respectin’ an’, an’ sort 
o’ stan’in’ firm on her own foots ef she knows 
dars a stockin’full o’ gol’ wha’ she kin turn 
inside-out ef she want ter ’thout axin’ ‘by yo’ 
leave, Mr. Man, no matter how she love him 
or he love her. An’ me an’ Charles done fix 
dat all right, so we has. Gawd bress ma chil- 
len! Gawd bress em! Dey’s filled ma soul 
wid joy all de days of ma life, and dey’s made 
Charles’ foots fer ter walk in de green pas- 
t’ers endurin’ his declinin’ years. Oh, we’s 
happy, we is, wid de Gawd-blessedes’ white 
folks two ol’ cullered folks ever is know.” 


CHAPTER XIX. 


“That is best which lieth nearest; 

Shape from that thy work of art.” 

How quickly things come about in this 
world. Barely an hour had passed since good 
old Mammy watched her “baby” ride away 
so happily. Never were hearts lighter than 
those of the riders. The girl mounted upon 
the beautiful thoroughbred bay horse, which 
had grown to know and love her voice and 
touch as he knew and loved his master’s; his 
splendid head tossing up and down in his de- 
light; his superb neck arching in pride; his 
delicate nostrils distended to draw in delicious 
whiffs of the pine-scented air ; his dainty hoofs 
barely touching the ground! Grace, beauty, 
strength incarnate as the play of the great mus- 
•cles beneath that satiny coat carried him for- 
ward — one of God’s most perfect creatures. 
(301) 


302 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


The girl riding cross-saddle felt the thrill of 
his action to her finger-tips. Her body swayed 
with every motion of the beautiful horse. She 
seemed a very part of him, he of her. The 
man riding beside her upon his fine gray was 
fully alive to the beauty of both rider and 
horse, and his eyes rested upon them with in- 
tense admiration. The soft light of the woods 
seemed reflected in the eyes she turned toward 
him — its mystery in the smile which curved 
his lips. It was a happy world, and these two 
could enjoy its beauty. 

The horse Hadyn rode was a high-strung, 
nervous creature, alert to every sound or mo- 
tion about him. As they passed through the 
town he had shied more than once., and re- 
quired firm handling; but up in this silent 
mountain road there was little to excite him, 
and Comet’s example had a quieting influence. 
They had nearly reached the summit of the 
mountain, and just ahead the road made a 
sharp turn. They were close upon it when a 
warning honk ! honk ! caused Haydn to tighten 


THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 303 


his hold upon his reins. Then around the turn 
whirled a huge touring car. It was all over 
in a moment. The car skidded, hurled itself 
against the riders, the chauffeur made a des- 
perate attempt to control his machine, but 
failed, and it tore on down the mountain en- 
tirely beyond his control, leaving behind it a 
prone horse and a madly excited one, which, 
in spite of its rider’s strenuous efforts to con- 
trol it, dashed on a quarter of a mile up the 
mountain before he could stop it, turn and gal- 
lop back to the spot where the accident oc- 
curred. Those minutes seemed like years to 
Hadyn. Flinging himself from the horse, 
though still holding the bridle rein, he cried : 

“My God, my darling!” as he caught Con- 
stance in his arms. She did not appear to 
notice his act or his words, but stood, white 
and trembling, pointing to Comet. 

“But you, you, my little girl ! my little girl I” 

“No, no! I’m not hurt a particle. Quick! 
tie that mad brute to a tree and do something. 
I slid off as Comet fell. I’m not hurt ; but he, 


304 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


he is dying. Oh, Comet! Comet! And with 
a heart-breaking sob she fell upon her knees 
beside the horse. The radiator of the car 
had struck his forehead and stunned him, but 
the heavy lantern had torn that jagged wound 
in the perfect foreleg just below the shoulder, 
and from it his life blood was gushing with 
every heart-throb. 

“But, Constance! Constance! my little girl, 
you must be hurt !” cried Hadyn, bending over 
her. 

“I’m not! I’m not! I tell you,” she cried, 
impatiently. “Go! tie that horse and come 
here. We must save Comet!” 

With the keenest anguish he had ever known 
Hadyn hurried the still restless horse to a sap- 
ling, tied him securely, and then returned to 
Constance, who was upon her knees striving 
to stanch the red stream flowing from the 
powerful leg. Puny effort! A moment be- 
fore the splendid creature lying there upon the 
ground had been life, strength, vigor, beauty 
incarnate. Now — an inanimate mass. 


THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 305 


“My little one, oh, my little one, come away ! 
come away ! This is no place for you,” begged 
Hadyn, striving to draw her from the scene. 
She turned upon him like a fury, echoing in- 
dignantly : 

“Come away! come away! What are you 
saying, Hadyn? With Comet dying? For 
he is. Quick! help me. We must stop this! 
I’m afraid an artery is severed. Make a tour- 
niquet of your handkerchief or something. 
Oh, do! do!” she urged, frantically 

“Oh, this is horrible ! horrible ! I would ra- 
ther have him die a hundred deaths than have 
you pass through all this!” cried Hadyn, as 
he tied his handkerchief about the horse’s leg 
and sought to twist it tight enough to stop 
the flow. It was useless. It needed a stouter 
bandage than that. The girl saw this, and the 
next instant had unbuckled the bridle rein, 
and was kneeling and binding it around the leg 
above that ragged wound. Then quickly slip- 
ping her riding-crop through the loop with 

Hadyn’s assistance, she turned it tighter and 
20 


3o6 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 

tighter, and presently had the joy of seeing that 
red flow lessen. “Oh, for help! Is no one 
within a hundred miles of us?” she moaned. 
“Hold this, Hadyn, and let me ride for some- 
one,” she cried. 

“Constance! Never! Do you realize the 
state you are in?” — for the girl had given no 
thought to self in her excitement. One glance 
at her habit was enough. 

“And do you think I would let you mount 
that mad brute? Had he not plunged aside, 
he, instead of Comet, would be lying before us 
this minute. 

“Then you must go. Go at once, Hadyn. 
Ride to Pringle’s for the ambulance and help.” 

“And leave you here alone on this mountain 
road with that horse, which may revive from 
this blow and struggle? Constance, are you 
mad ?” 

“No, I was never saner in all my life; but, 
unless you go, / shall. He won’t struggle ; he 
knows my voice, and he is already too weak 
from this— this awful thing to try to struggle,” 


THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 307 


and she pointed shudderingly at the discolored 
earth. “Hadyn, dear, dear Hadyn, please, 
please go,” she implored, turning up to him a 
pair of eyes swimming in tears. ‘T shall know 
what to do. Oh, please trust me! Please, 
do!” 

For one moment the man looked at the wo- 
man dearer to him than all the world beside, 
then stooping over her he rested his lips first 
upon one eyelid then the other, and said very, 
very gently: 

“God bless and guard you, my darling. I 
shall go as quickly as that beast can take me, 
and I shall never forget this. Comet, Comet, 
old man, we’ve fought some tough fights; but 
this is the toughest of all,” and, bending over 
the horse, he ran his hand along the silky neck. 

The faintest flutter of the nostrils acknowl- 
edged the caress, and the next second Hadyn 
had flung himself upon Lightfoot, and was 
riding down that mountain road at a pace 
which threatened destruction. Constance 
had never for a second lessened her firm hold 


3o8 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


upon the riding-crop, but her eyes followed the 
rider, and her lips murmured: 

“A moment ago I was a girl and did not 
realize. Now I know. Oh, Hadyn, Hadyn, 
come safely back to us !” and still holding that 
life-saving little riding-crop she laid her head 
down upon the beautiful neck and sobbed as 
though her heart would break. 

Animals which are constantly with human 
beings learn to understand the tones which va- 
rying emotions govern, just as a human being 
learns to understand the wonderful language 
of the so-called dumb creatures. Comet had 
been Hadyn’s closest companion for years, and 
during the past six months had been petted 
and cared for by all in Mrs. Carruth’s home. 
But it was Constance whom he had grown to 
love best ; Constance who rode him when Hadyn 
was at his office; and many a delightful hour’s 
exercise had she taken on the splendid horse. 

Very gradually Comet came back to the 
world of real things around him. The great 
eyes opened and the delicate nostrils quivered. 


THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 309 


There was a slight effort to rise, but close to 
his ear murmured the voice he had learned to 
love and obey as an army horse obeys the voice 
of his master. 

“Steady, Comet! Dear, dear Comet, keep 
quiet. There, old fellow! There! Steady! 
steady !“ 

The ears were turned to catch each tone; 
the eyes shone with a human intelligence; the 
nostrils breathed audibly, but the horse lay as 
quiet as though life had departed, and Con- 
stance did not move. 

How long the minutes seemed! How far 
away from human aid that mountain road! 
How solemn, how silent the great woodland, 
stretching, stretching away in a vista of glo- 
rious colors ! Overhead the soft October winds 
whispered and sighed in the tree-tops, and with 
each sigh a few brilliant leaves fluttered to 
the ground — dear Nature’s coverlid for some 
baby growth to be nestled for its long winter’s 
sleep. Far away the crows cawed and called 
to one another. Overhead, ominous shadow! 


310 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


a hawk circled, and then, as though to dispel 
a sign so baleful, clear, sweet, exquisite as a 
voice from Paradise, came the liquid notes of 
a hermit thrush — a late lingerer whom his 
mates had left behind when they took flight to 
sunnier climes against the coming of bitter 
days. 

The notes brought comfort to the girl. She 
had always loved them. No other bird-call 
meant so much to her as this, for it was associ- 
ated with some of the sweetest and, yes, the 
saddest experiences of her life, and now it 
held a meaning it had never before held. All 
her life these notes would stand above all 
others. The experience was, indeed, bitter- 
sweet. She did not know how long she had 
lain there, for time seemed at a standstill, when 
along the ground she heard the rapid thud, 
thud of a horse’s flying feet, and raising her 
head she saw Hadyn returning, Lightfoot in 
a lather and his flanks heaving. Hadyn flung 
himself from the horse, which was now too 
spent to do anything but stand and pant, and 


THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 31 1 


hurried to Constance’s side. Dropping upon 
his knees beside her, he drew her into his arms 
as she rose to her knees from her prone posi- 
tion, though she never for an instant relaxed 
her hold upon the crop. Comet nickered 
faintly, but for the first time in his life failed 
to hear his master’s response to that greeting. 

Like a weary little child Constance let her 
head fall upon the shoulder so near it, and 
whispered : 

“Oh, Hadyn, the minutes have seemed so 
long to us !” 

“My little girl! my little girl! Dear, dear 
heart! — so courageous, so brave, so strong! 
So perfect a woman in your tenderness com- 
bined with your strength. This hour has 
shown me what you are to me ; what life would 
be without you. I thought I knew before, but 
I did not. And you, dear heart ?” 

There was no answer, but the softly per- 
fumed hair nestled still closer against him. 
His arm tightened about her, and he said 
gently : 


312 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


“I’ve waited four years for this moment, 
dear, but I never dreamed of such a setting 
for it. No words are necessary to tell me 
what I’ve won by waiting; but — the Ambulance 
is not far behind, and will be here in a few 
moments. My sign and seal, dear. May I 
claim it now? Then let me hold the crop and 
you go ever yonder.” 

Without a word the pure, beautiful face was 
raised to his, and in that moment Hadyn Stuy- 
vesant felt that Paradise could not be far re- 
moved from such lips, for none could be purer 
or holier, and into his life at that instant came 
all that is best in manhood. 

“Now go, my darling.” Constance shook 
her head and smiled a gentle refusal. 

“Please.” 

“No, dear; not until the Veterinary takes 
it from my hands. Yours are trembling, and 
it might loosen. There comes the Ambulance 
now. It will only be a moment longer.” 

When the panting horses which drew the 


THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 313 


Ambulance came to a standstill the Veterinary 
sprang from it and hurried to the group. 

“By George, Miss Carruth, have you done 
this?” he exclaimed. “Well, you can thank 
this young lady, Stuyvesant, for saving a val- 
uable horse’s life. Now, turn your patient 
over to me. Miss Carruth, and we will get him 
into the Ambulance and down the hill as fast 
as we can. There, that’s right. Now, Stuy- 
vesant, get her away from this place. A car- 
riage is right behind us, and you must take her 
home. What an experience for a girl! Jo, 
you take charge of Lightfoot yonder.” 

Hadyn bent over to stroke his pet, and Con- 
stance knelt to press her lips to the great neck, 
then with Hadyn’s aid struggled to her feet. 
She was cramped and stiff, but Hadyn’s arm 
supported her, and more than one pair of eyes 
followed the girl admiringly as he led her to 
the carriage which just then drew up. 

“Don’t give a thought to this, Stuyvesant. 
We will do everything possible, and Miss Car- 


314 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


futh needs you more than Comet does now,” 
the Veterinary called after them. 

“I’ll have her safely home in twenty min- 
utes !” Hadyn called back. 

Neither ever forgot that drive down the 
mountain. Until the strain was removed the 
girl did not realize how great it had been dur- 
ing the foregoing hour. Constance was thank- 
ful for the sheltering cover of that depot car- 
riage and the strong arm encircling her. Her 
own strength seemed suddenly to have left her. 
Only Mrs. Carruth and Mammy were at home 
when they reached there. Hadyn half carr 
ried Constance to them. 

“Bress Gawd! what done happen?” cried 
Mammy, almost taking the worn-out girl in 
her arms. “Has you done fell off Comet?” 

“Hadyn, what is it?” cried Mrs. Carruth. 

“She is not harmed, but is nervously ex- 
hausted. Will you believe me, and let Mammy 
put her to bed for a few hours ? Go, rest, my 
darling,” he said, taking Constance’s face in 
his hands and pressing his lips to her’s. 


THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 315 


“Glory be ter Gawd! Come wid me, baby. 
D’ere’s nothin’ wrong wid you, I knows. Ef 
you’s done had a fright, he gwine be de bes’ 
medicine bimeby. Go ’long wid yo’ boy. Miss 
Jinny — yo’s got one now — an’ leave dis hyar 
chile ter me.” 

“Constance, darling, tell me first that you 
are not injured,” said Mrs. Carruth, tenderly 
taking the girl in her arms. 

Constance nestled against her and whispered 
softly : 

“Not hurt a particle. Mother, only a little 
shaky, but, oh, so happy! Let Mammy help 
me while Hadyn tells you,” and smiling 
through her tears the girl was led upstairs by 
Mammy’s ever ready, loving arms. 

Mrs. Carruth’s eyes followed her a moment, 
then turned to encounter Hadyn’s looking at 
her with a tenderness she never forgot as he 
extended his arms and said ; 

“My little mother ! My little mother ! Will 
you let these serve and hold you henceforth? 
May I be, as dear old Mammy says, ‘your boy?’ 


3i6 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


You do not know how I have longed to be that 
in reality all these years that I have been 
waiting. Come !” 

“In the beautiful days of long ago,” 

When all this world was so new and fair, 
An Angel came from the world above 
To bestow the gift of all gifts most rare. 
And what was this blessing? — this priceless 
boon. 

To bring to mortals the greatest good? 

Ah ! need I whisper that name so dear — 

God’s precious gift of Motherhood? 

Perhaps but once in her life can a woman 
know a more precious moment than that in 
which she gives her daughter into the love and 
keeping of the man she has learned to love, 
and this mother realizes that he is now her 
son. The sense of rest, peace, protection that 
came to Mrs. Carruth when this strong man 
held her in his arms, and called her by that 
tenderest of all names, “Mother,” passes all 


THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 317 


power to describe. From that instant he was 
“her boy,” for the man ever remains “the boy” 
in the mother’s love, and Hadyn had rich store 
of Mrs. Carruth’s. 

Leading her to a settee, with arm still cir- 
cling her, he told her the whole story. When 
it was ended he asked gently : 

“And can the heart find room for another 
son, little Mother?” 

Taking the fine, strong face in her hands, 
she kissed him very tenderly, saying: 

“I think you have always been that to me, 
dear. Yes, from the first hour I knew you. 
I am very, very happy in my newest son, and 
can trust my little girl to his care with all faith 
and confidence.” 

“God bless you!” whispered Hadyn. 

“Who is here?” cried Jean at the door of the 
library, and running in came to a sudden stand- 
still. Neither her mother nor Hadyn spoke, 
and for a moment Jean stood motionless in the 
middle of the room, her eyes turned first upon 
one face then upon the other, her expressive 


3i8 three little WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


face changing as her emotions changed. Then 
impulsively as she did everything, she ran 
toward them and, dropping upon her knees be- 
side Hadyn, clasped her arms around his neck, 
and, nestling her cheek against his, cried: 

“Now I know you are all mine, and every- 
one may know how hard I love you, for any 
girl may love a brother all she wants to.” 

That was a wonderfully sweet moment for 
Hadyn. 

Does much more remain to be told? 

Just a little dip into the future years before 
we bid the “Three Little Women” good-bye 
for all time. 

Eleanor as Mrs. Homer Forbes, with ner 
adored Socrates, flourished in Helicon Hall for 
many a year. Hadyn and Constance made 
their home with Mrs. Carruth and Jean until 
the latter in the course of time decided to ac- 
cept her first customer, Ned Faber, as a life 
partner. 

The Candy Kitchen, as Hadyn prophesied, 
very soon outgrew its boundaries again, and 


THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 319 


not long afterward moved into far more spa- 
cious quarters in South Riveredge, with Ed- 
ward DeLaney as general manager and Mrs. 
Edward DeLaney — ^bonny Mary Willing — as 
chief advisor to him and its charming proprie- 
tor, Mrs. Stuyvesant. Constance had achieved 
her aim. Her mother and Jean were made en- 
tirely independent. Yes, more; they were sur- 
rounded by every comfort and many luxuries. 

And Comet? Ah, Comet bids fair to out- 
strip dear old Baltie in longevity. 

Mammy and Charles? Ah, dear old Mam- 
my and Charles ! Loyalty, love, devotion per- 
sonified. For nearly two years longer they con- 
ducted their lunch counter, then Mrs. Carruth 
insisted upon their giving up active life and 
settling down to the calm and tranquil one their 
years and faithful service had justly won for 
them. When the larger plant was established 
in South Riveredge for the candy-making, and 
Mary Willing became Mrs. DeLaney, a snug 
home was made there for her by her husband 


320 THREE LITTLE WOMEN’S SUCCESS 


and Fanny went to live with her. Then 
Hadyn enlarged Mammy’s cottage, and the 
Candy Kitchen became part of it, where Charles 
and Mammy, made independent through the 
success of their lunch counter, lived in content 
and every comfort. Mamrriy’s only disap- 
pointment in her old age lay in the fact that 
none of her “chillen” would accept the “nes’- 
aig” she had so carefully hoarded for them, 
but insisted that she and Charles enjoy it as 
long as they lived, since the Candy Kitchen 
more than amply provided for all her “old 
massa’s chillen.” 

Mammy was silenced, if not convinced; but 
there was one point upon which they could not 
change her, and not long after Constance’s 
and Eleanor’s marriage she and Charles vis- 
ited Mr. Porter, and were closeted with him 
for an hour. At the end of that hour he went 
with them to a friend in the Arcade, where 
Charles’ and Mammy’s wills were duly drawn 
and executed. 












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